PADODA JALAM
INTRODUCTION
Padoda Jalam is a type of sacred water which would be sprinkled on the heads of the devotees after the completion of the Guru Raghavendra puja. It would be done in the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt at Mantralayam and also in various other Raghavendra Swamy Mutts. This is done in order to purify our mind and body, and also to remove the mental and physical diseases from our body. The system of sprinkling of sacred water is being followed for more than hundred years, and it is still being done for the welfare of the devotees.
During the life time of Guru Raghavendra, he removed the evil spirits and the ghosts from the body of the people by sprinkling the sacred water from his holy water pot, also called as Kamandalam. Since he wants to continue this practice even after his lifetime, he therefore had introduced the system of spraying the “PADODA JALAM” on the heads of his devotees.
Guru Raghavendra is a very kind saint, and still now, he is blessing his devotees from his Samadhi Shrine at Mantralaya. In order to reduce the sufferings and sins of his devotees, he found various methods like Mritika, sacred sand, which must be consumed with water, in order to get rid from our various health issues. Akshada, rice mixed with turmeric, which must be put on our heads, by considering it as a direct blessing from Guru Raghavendra. Padoda Jalam, would be sprinkled on our heads by the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt priests, in order to solve our various issues.
Sometimes, knowingly or unknowingly, we might have pressed our legs on some bad substances, and due to that, we may suffer a lot. And sometimes, our enemies might have applied black magic on us, and due to that, we may suffer from some uneasiness in our mind and body, and due to that, we could not perform our daily routine activities in a proper manner. In order to get rid from such types of problems, we should visit Mantralayam or any other Raghavendra Swamy Mutts, and after getting darshan of our Holy Guru Raghavendra, we must wilfully get our body sprinkled with the holy water, PADODA JALAM. If possible, Guru Raghavendra devotees should visit Mantralayam at least once in their life time, and they must have the wonderful delicious Food, also called as Thirtha Prasadam, in order to satisfy both their mind and body.
“OM SRI GURU RAGHAVENDRAYA NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR