Glossary

A

Abishegam

Milk anointment

Agni

Fire

Amirtham

Divine nectar/food

Amma

Tamil for mother

Anandam

Bliss

Angapradakshinam

 a.k.a. Angavalam; When devotees lie prostrate, and then roll around the temple, chanting the Lord’s name.

Atharvana Badhra Kaali

Furious form of Mother Adhiparasakthi to fight the evils

B

Brahman

Supreme pervading unchanging reality that is beyond this world and human comprehension

C

Chakaram

Complex sacred geometry of varying shapes used for prayer, worship, devotion and meditation

Chithirai

Tamil month of May

Circumabulation

Worshippers move in a clockwise direction around the temple. In larger temples the ambulatory passageways for circumambulation start at the sanctuary doorway and move inward toward the inner sanctum where the deity is enshrined and therefore the seat of spiritual energy. This is to reflect the spiritual concept of transitioning through the levels in life from worldly to spiritual.  Circumambulation is done in several forms including walking either normally or toe-to-toe, kneeling and moving forward knee-to-knee or rolling prostrate around the temple.

D

Darshan

Auspicious sight of the spiritual Guru or God

Dhrishti

Items used to remove spiritual negative energy eg lime, coconut, pumpkin

G

Gopuram

Large tower resembling a pyramid above the gateway of most South Indian temples

Guru Pooja

Prayer ritual invoking the blessings of the Guru, Arul Thiru Amma

J

Jeeva Samaadhi

Left their mortal body however continue to live in the astral plane

Jothi

Light/flame

K

Kalasa Villakku Pooja

Sacred pot filled with Holy water and sacred lamp ritual worship

Kalasam

Sacred pot filled with Holy water

Kanji

Rice gruel

Karuvarai

Altar for worship

M

Mahaa Yagna

Large scale sacrificial fire worship ritual

Mandapam

Hall

Mandrams

Adhiparasakthi worship centres

Maya

Illusion

N

Navagrahas

9 planets

P

Pooja

Ritual worship of varying types

Pradakshina

The circumambulatory pathway made of stone around the shrine.

Prana

Breath

Pranava

The cosmic sound, that which controls and sustains the life force, through the Prana or breath

S

Sakthis

Devotees of Amma

Siddhars

Highly evolved souls or God-realised beings, similar to Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Mohammed and other great spiritual Masters/Gurus who attained Jeeva Samaadhi (left their mortal body however continue to live in the astral plane

Soolam

Trident

Suyambu

A self-emerging, naturally formed oval-shaped rock form that is worshipped as the embodiment of the omniscient God

T

Tamil

Ancient language of India, commonly spoken in Southern India

Thondu

Service

Turiya State

The fourth state of consciouness which is the state of perfect bliss when the individual self recognises his identity with the supreme Brahman.

V

Villakku

Sacred lamp used for worship