A Kalasa is made up mud, brass, silver or copper filled with matter. It is temporarily used to install god, devas (Aavahanam) for worship with proper mantras and installation is called ‘Kumbha Sthabanam’. We consider the Kalasa itself as God after proper ‘Aavahana Mantras’. The mud represents the body. A red or white thread is tied around around its neck or sometimes all round the Kalasa in a intricate diamond shaped pattern. The thread represents the 72000 nerves running inside the body. The cloth put on the neck represents the skin. The water and other perfume ingredients pourned in the Kalasa is considered as blood. The coin we put inside the pot represents sperm (சுக்கிலம்). The Koorcha represents backbone, Mango leaves represent hair(‘சடை’), coconut represents the head (‘கபாலம்’), the koorcha placed outside represent tuft (குடுமி) which drives out demons, proyoga mantras as jeevan, the grains spread represent for the seat of God. The entire set is called purnakumba representing the inert body when filled with divine life force gains the power to do all the wonderful things that makes life.
The bottom portion represents earth (Prithivi), middle enlarged portion represents water (appu), neck portion represents fire (Agni), mouth represents air (vaayu), coconut, mango leaves represent space (Akasa). Thus the five elementsv i.e., panchabutham is brought out.
Lord Vishnu was sleeping on the snake bed in the milky ocean at the time creation of entire world. A lotus flower emerged from his stomach and from it emerged Lord Brahma, the creator of universe. Hence the water in the Kalasa represents primordial water from which entire creation emerged. The water from all the holy rivers, the knowledge of Vedas, blessings of all the deities are invoked in the Kalasa and its water is thereafter used for all the rituals including the abhisheka.
Sometimes the Kalasa is filled up rice also and the Purnakumbha (entire set) is offered to saints, men of wisdom as a sign of respectful and reverential welcome.
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