Bali pitha- Throne of the Gods

Dr Uday Dokras
An altar is a structure with an upper surface for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or
for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship.
They are used particularly in Paganism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Modern
Paganism. Many historical faiths also made use of them, including the Roman, Greek,
and Norse religions. Old English had various spellings alter, altar etc. Finally "altar" may have been
influenced by the French autel derived from Latin words altare meaning podium or stage and adolere to
adore, in this sense meaning to worship, honour and offer sacrifices to influence forces beyond human
understanding.

Murugan temple in Roermond, Netherlands.

In Hinduism, altars generally contain pictures or statues of gods and goddesses. Large, ornate altars
are found in Hindu temples while smaller altars are found in homes and sometimes also in Hindu-run
shops and restaurants. The word for temple is mandir (san: मन्दिर), the altar as hypostatised temple that is
it lies beneath the surface but represent themselves to our senses are three higher spiritual principles, or
hypostases, each one more sublime than the preceding. In South Indian temples, often each god will have
His or Her own shrine, each contained in a miniature house (specifically, a mandir). These shrines are
often scattered around the temple compound, with the three main ones being in the main area. The statue
of the God (murti) is placed on a stone pedestal in the shrine, and one or more lamps are hung in the
shrine. There is usually a space to put the puja tray (tray with worship offerings). Directly outside the
main shrine there will be a statue of the god's vahana or vehicle. The shrines have curtains hung over the
entrances, and wooden doors which are shut when the Deities are sleeping. Some South Indian temples
have one main altar, with several statues placed upon it.

A family altar in India.

North Indian temples generally have one main altar at the front of the temple room. In some temples, the
front of the room is separated with walls and several altars are placed in the alcoves. The statues on the
altars are usually in pairs, each god with his consort (Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, Shiva-Parvati).
However, some gods, such as Ganesha and Hanuman, are placed alone. Ritual items such as flowers or
lamps may be placed on the altar.
Home shrines can be as simple or as elaborate as the householder can afford. Large, ornate shrines can be
purchased in India and countries with large Hindu minorities, like Malaysia and Singapore. They are
usually made of wood and have tiled floors for statues to be placed upon. Pictures may be hung on the
walls of the shrine. The top of the shrine may have a series of levels, like a gopuram tower on a temple.
Each Hindu altar will have at least one oil lamp and may contain a tray with puja equipment as well.
Hindus with large houses will set aside one room as their puja room, with the altar at one end of it. Some
South Indians also place a shrine with pictures of their departed relatives on the right side of the room,
and make offerings to them before making offerings to the gods.

Bali_pitha is an indispensable associate of the sanctum. It is an altar or the dispensing seat of the
deity. It is a small but stylized stone seat that is installed directly in front of the icon and very near
the sanctum. It is the seat on which offerings to deity are placed.

The chief (pradhana) Bali_pitha will be directly in front of the icon and often near the
Dwajasthamba. It is usually made of hard granite and will be highly stylized, ornate, and majestic,
with several limbs such as the base, cornices, wall-surface with door-lets or niches. Most texts
suggest that the size of the altar should be 1/8, 1/7 or 1/5 of the dimension of the sanctum.
Depending on their sizes and shapes, the altars are classified into several types such as Sri-bandha,
Sri-bhadra, and Sarvato-bhadra and so on.

The Pradhana Bali-pitha will often be covered metal sheets .The more affluent temples as the one at
Tirumala, give the Pradana Bali-pitha a metal covering with gold polish.
It is on this Bali_pitha that the food offerings, in the form of vermilion colored rice, and rice mixed
with pepper are offered to the attendant divinities and the guardian goblins. These offerings are
placed only after the main food offering to the presiding deity, in the sanctum, is completed.

 While the main (pradhana), Bali_pitha will be directly in front of the icon; there will be several
such other altars, located in the prakara, positioned in eight directions, around the sanctum. Their
positions are determined in accordance with the prescriptions of the canonical texts that the temple
follows.
Some suggest that the yupastambha (Sacrificial post) and the balipitha (sacrificial pedestal) of the
Vedic age have metamorphosed into the dhvajastambha and the balipitha of the present day.

A dipastambha (lamp post) is situated either in front of the balipitha. The top of this post has a bud
shaped chamber to receive the lamp
Flag staff
The dhvajastambha (flag post) in front of either the garbhagrha or antarala or the mantapa is
another common feature of the temples. It should be perpendicular and directly opposite to the
idol. It will be located very close to the Bali pitha; and the Bali pitha will be between the sanctum
and the Dwajasthamba.

It represents the flag post of the ‘King of kings’. The lanchana (insignia) made of copper or brass
fixed like a flag to the top of the post varies according to the deity in the temple. The figure on the
lanchana is invariably that of the vahana (carrier vehicle) of the deity. For instance, in Siva temples
it contains Nandi. In Devi temples it is the lion that finds its place. In Vishnu temples the Garuda
gets that honour.

RITUALS that are WITNESSES to the BaliPith

In Homa Variations: The Study of Ritual Change across the Longue Durée a chapter written by
Richard K. Payne and Michael Witzel in the book-The Vedic Homa and the Standardization of
Hindu Pūjā,by Timothy Lubin the authors examine the way in which the traditional solemn rites
(śrauta), requiring three fires, are simplified. This change results in the creation of the domestic,
or “homely” rituals as the chapter calls them. The systematic integration of ritual practices in the
Purāṇas and Āgamas—the penumbra of the Vedic tradition—involved assimilating food
offerings to well-known Vedic forms.

Thus, pūjā was provided with a Vedic framework and warrant. The domestic rites (gṛhya) thus
initiated were much simpler than the solemn rites, as they only require a single fire for their
performance. Similarly, there is an accompanying reduction in the number of officiants required
for the performance of the domestic rites.

puja, also spelled pooja or poojah, in Hinduism, ceremonial worship, ranging from brief daily
rites in the home to elaborate temple rituals. The word puja is derived from
the Dravidian pu (“flower”). In its simplest form, puja usually consists of making an offering of
flowers or fruit to an image of a god. The components of a puja vary greatly according to the
sect, community, part of the country, time of day, needs of the worshipper, and religious text
followed. Generally speaking, in a puja, a deity, manifested in his image, is accorded the honour
given to a royal guest. The attentions (upacharas) paid to him begin in the morning, when he is
gently roused from sleep, and extend through the day, including ritual bathing and dressing, the
serving of the usual three meals, and the final ceremony of putting him to bed for the night.
A young boy performs his first puja after initiation into the community of the “twice-born.”

A puja may also include a circumambulation (pradakshina) of the image or shrine and, in an

elaborate ritual, a sacrifice (bali) and oblation to the sacred fire (homa). Special ceremonies
according to the festival calendar may also be observed, such as swinging the god or playing
games according to the season.

Aarti”-One important type of puja in Indian temple and private worship is arati, the waving of
lighted lamps before an image of a deity or a person to be honoured. In performing the rite, the
worshipper circles the lamp three or more times in a clockwise direction while chanting a prayer
or singing a hymn. In Indian households, arati is a commonly observed ritual element accorded
specially honoured guests. It is also a part of many domestic ceremonies.
Some pujas may be performed by the worshipper alone, whereas others may require the services
of a ritually qualified person such as a priest. A puja may be performed for a specific announced
purpose or simply as an act of devotion.

Aarti, (Hindi: “the ceremony of lights”) Sanskrit aratrika, in Hindu and Jain rites, the waving of

lighted lamps before an image of a god or a person to be honoured. In performing the rite, the
worshiper circles the lamp three times in a clockwise direction while chanting a prayer or singing
a hymn. Arti is one of the most frequently observed parts of both temple and private
worship(see puja). The god is honoured by the lighted ghee (clarified butter) or camphor and is
protected by the invocation of the deities of the directions of the compass. In Indian
households, arti is a commonly observed ritual treatment accorded specially honoured guests. It
is also a part of many domestic ceremonies.
Hindu priest performing navami arti before a statue of the goddess

pradakshina, in Hinduism and Buddhism, the rite of circumambulating in a clockwise direction

an image, relic, shrine, or other sacred object. The worshiper, by beginning in the east and
keeping the sacred object on his right-hand side, proceeds to the south, thus moving in the
direction followed daily by the course of the sun. Pilgrimages sometimes consist of
circumambulating an entire town, such as the sacred city of Varanasi (Benares), a 36-mile (58-
km) journey, or the Ganges River from source to sea and back, a trip that when undertaken on
foot requires several years.

pradaksina- Picture above of a Relief of devotees performing pradaksina around a stupa.

Explanations of the rite vary from the delineation of an area for a particular sacred purpose to an
attempt to influence the course of events and produce good fortune by imitating
the auspicious journey of the sun. Circumambulating in a counterclockwise movement—i.e.,
keeping the left shoulder toward the central object—called prasavya, is observed in funeral
ceremonies.

The Concept of the Throne of God in other religions

The Throne of God is the reigning centre of God in the Abrahamic religions:
primarily Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The throne is said by various holy books to reside
beyond the Seventh Heaven which is called Araboth (Hebrew: ‫עֲ ָרבֹות‬ ‘ărāḇōṯ) in Judaism,
  and al-'Arsh in Islam. Many in the Christian religion consider the ceremonial chair as
[1]

symbolizing or representing an allegory of the holy Throne of God.

JUDAISM: Micaiah (1 Kings 22:19), Isaiah (Isaiah 6), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1) and Daniel (Daniel
7:9) all speak of God's throne although some philosophers, such as Saʿadiah
Gaon and Maimonides, interpreted such mention of a "throne" as allegory.
The heavenly throne room or throne room of God is a more detailed presentation of the throne,
into the representation of throne room or divine court.
Dead Sea Scrolls
The concept of a heavenly throne occurs in three Dead Sea Scroll texts. Later speculation on the
throne of God became a theme of Merkabah mysticism.

God the Father on a throne, Westphalia, Germany, late 15th century.

In the New Testament, the Throne of God is talked about in several forms.[6] Including Heaven as
the Throne of God, The Throne of David, The Throne of Glory, The Throne of Grace and many
more. The New Testament continues Jewish identification of heaven itself as the "throne of
God", but also locates the throne of God as "in heaven" and having a secondary seat at the right
hand of God for the Session of Christ.
Revelation
The Book of Revelation describes the Seven Spirits of God which surround the throne, and John
wishes his readers in the Seven Asian churches to be blessed with grace from God, from the
seven who are before God's throne, and from Jesus Christ in Heaven. John states that in front of
the throne there appears to be "a sea of glass, clear as crystal", and that the throne is surrounded
by a lion, an ox, a man, and a flying eagle; each with six wings and covered with eyes, who
constantly cry "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come"
repeatedly. It is also said that "out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and
voices".
Isaiah
In Isaiah 6, Isaiah sees the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train (robe)
filled the temple. Above the throne stood the Seraphims (angelic beings), and each one had 6
wings. With two wings they covered their face, with two they covered their feet, and with two
they flew. And the Seraphims were calling out to one another, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of
Hosts" (Some translations title Him, 'Lord of heavens armies', or 'Lord Almighty'). Their voices
shook the temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

ABOVE LEFT- Diagram of "Plain of Assembly"(Ard al-Hashr) on the Day of Judgment, from
autograph manuscript of Futuhat al-Makkiyya by Sufi mystic and philosopher Ibn Arabi, ca.
1238. Shown are the 'Arsh (Throne of God), pulpits for the righteous (al-Aminun), seven rows
of angels, Gabriel (al-Ruh), A'raf (the Barrier), the Pond of Abundance, al-Maqam al-Mahmud
(the Praiseworthy Station; where the prophet Muhammad will stand to intercede for the faithful),
Mizan (the Scale), As-Sirāt (the Bridge), Jahannam (Hell) and Marj al-Jannat (Meadow of
Paradise).

In Islamic theology, the Throne (Arabic: ‫العرش‬ Al-'Arsh) is the largest of creations.

Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi (d. 429/1037) in his al-Farq bayn al-Firaq (The Difference between
the Sects) reports that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, said: "Allah created the Throne as an indication of His
power, not for taking it as a place for Himself."

The vast majority of Muslims, including Sunnis (Ash'aris, Maturidis and Sufis), Mu'tazilis,

and Shi'is (Twelvers and Isma'ilis) believe it as a symbol of God's power and authority and not as
a dwelling place for Himself, while some Islamic sects, such as the Karramis and
the Salafis/Wahhabis believe that God has created it as a place of dwelling.

The Quran mentions the throne some 25 times (33 times as Al-'Arsh), such as in verse 10:3 and
23:116:
Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then
established Himself above the Throne (Arsh), arranging the matter [of His creation]. There is no
intercessor except after His permission. That is Allah, your Lord, so worship Him. Then will you
not remember? - Yunus 10:3
And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and His Throne had been upon
water - that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed. But if you say, "Indeed, you are
resurrected after death," those who disbelieve will surely say, "This is not but obvious magic." -
Hud 11:7

So Exalted be Allah, the True King - None has the right to be worshipped but He - Lord of the
Supreme Throne! - al-Mu’minoon 23:116
The Quran depicts the angels as carrying the throne of God and praising his glory, similar to Old
Testament images.

...those who bear the Throne, and all who are round about it, sing the praises of their Lord and
believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who believe. - Quran 40:7
...and you shall see the angels going round about the Throne glorifying the praise of their Lord;
and judgment shall be given between them with justice, and it shall be said: all praise is due to
God, the Lord of the Worlds. - Quran 39:75
The Ayat al-Kursi (often glossed as "Verse of the footstool"), is a verse from Al-Baqara, the
second sura of the Quran, and is regarded as the book's greatest verse. It references the Throne,
and also God's greatest name, Al-Hayy Al-Qayyoom ("The Living, the Eternal").Scholars
of hadith have stated that Muhammad said the reward for reciting this verse after every prayer
is Paradise, and that reciting it is a protection from the devil.
Prophetic hadith also establish that The Throne is above the roof of Al-Firdaus Al-'Ala, the
highest level of Paradise where God's closest and most beloved servants in the hereafter shall
dwell