What is Kumbhabhishekham?
—————————————–
Kumbhabhishekham is a Hindu temple ritual that is believed to homogenize, synergize and unite the mystic powers of the deity. Kumbha means the Head and denotes the Shikhara or Crown of the Temple (usually in the Gopuram) and Abhisekham is ritual bathing.
On the appointed day and at an auspicious time, the Kumbha is bathed with the charged and sanctified holy waters in the sacrificial pot and, by a mystic process, these pranic powers trickle down a silver wire and enter the deity installed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The deity, which was until then only a granite sculptured stone image, is believed to transform into a vibrant and vivid living representation of the deva or devi with innate beatitude, grace and grandeur, conferring divine blessings on all devotees.
Vedanta in Practice 
Om Namo Bhagavate Ramakrishnaya
Revered and dear Maharaj,
Please accept my pranam.
Many thanks for explaining beautifully in a nut shell the spiritual significance of ‘Kumbhabhishekham‘. Till now, I was not aware of the process of ‘Prana pratishta‘. What is meant by ‘Ashta bhandana‘? May Lord Muneeswara and Devi shower their blessings on all is my prayer to them.
I was fortunate to witness two Mahakumbhabhishekams so far:
1. That of Madurai Meenakshi amman temple by Kanchi Periava (Chandrashekarendra Swamigal) in 1963.
2. New Universal temple of Sri Ramakrishna in our Chennai Math in 2001. It was a thrilling experience to have been sprinkled upon by holy thirtham immediately after the great event.
With pranam once again,
T S Sitaraman
Hyderabad, India
LikeLike