ஆவியுலகக் கோட்ப்பாடு நோக்கில் விருட்ச சைத்திய வழிபாடு / Vridsha Chaitya Worship in the Perspective of Astral Theory

Abstract

One of the ancient Tamil traditions of worship is tree worship (Vridsha worship), which is called 'Vriksha chaitya' by the Buddhists. Tree worship also has an important place in the religious development of the Tamil people. Religion is an important domain as far as Tamil culture is concerned. Within the field of religion, there are many elements such as deities, worship methods, rituals, ceremonies, and prayers. The origins of the Tamils' worship tradition are rooted in the energies embodied in nature. Before the Gods came into being Tamils worshipped energies. In the beginning, man's life depended on the forest. There Kanurai deities, Kanamar Selvi and Katukil were identified as deities. Belief in the presence of deities in the forests especially in the trees was prevalent. Thus, in the tradition of folk worship, the belief in the tree-enveloping deity is replete with many rituals. Their rituals are performed in the form of sacrifices and some rituals are performed in the background of the concept of exchange. An alternative ritual is the rite practised in the southern districts. Thus, this paper will be a study of the rituals and beliefs related to tree worship from the perspective of astral theory.

Keywords

• vridsha chaitya worship
• tree worship
• astral theory.