Upcoming Pujas-The Mother Season
Durga Puja Sunday, Sept. 28 11am-4pm
Here at Ridgely we celebrate Navaratri-the Nine Nights of the Goddess- With a puja/ritual worship to the Devi in Her form as Durga. It is a very abbreviated version of the traditional multi-day worship performed in various places in India. Since it is a ‘short-form puja’ we often try to find ways for everyone to join in on some top the meditations and visualizations within the ritual. The format is first, the worship itself, followed by a flower offering, homa fire and prasad lunch.( Prasad means the food that is first offered to the Devi and then shared as a special blessing when the ceremony is complete.) As part of the ritual there is often a recitation of the Devi Mahatmyam aka the Chandi which is the main text in which the stories of the Devi Durga appear.
All are welcome to attend all or part of the puja. If you wish to bring offerings please remember that the Devi should be the first receiver of anything you offer. Food must not be tasted, flowers remain unsniffed etc. If you would like to offer a song/bhajan, we welcome that too.
Kali Puja Monday, Oct. 20 6pm-1am
Kali Puja is our complete, ‘long-form’ ritual worship of the Devi in Her form as Dakshina Kali. During this ritual the Devi DakshinaKali is invoked/invited to be present in a special way that cannot be explained in ordinary language. We invoke Her presence in a particular way in the physical image/murti in a part of the ceremony called prana pratishtha You could think of it as bringing life to the image. We ritually open the eyes and infuse the limbs with the presence of both Kali and Shiva. Our image here is small but powerful! At the end of the ceremony the Mother is invited to return to the ocean of the Formless, Her true abode. As we do in all our pujas, there is first the ritual, followed by a flower offering, homa fire and prasad.
You are welcome to bring offerings-flowers, food, or anything else one would offer to a female deity-clothing, jewelry, make up, perfume, song. We have offered many different kinds of items in the past, the special offerings that people wish to give the Devi. If you are offering food, please be aware that we won’t allow you to prepare it here.
If you wish to spend the night here, you must register at least 5 days in advance. We do not ask for a donation for overnight stays on Kali Puja night.
All are welcome to attend all or part of this ceremony.