ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Prana Pratishtha

Prana pratishtha is a special ceremony that is performed in some Hindu temples to consecrate or officially open a new temple or statue. It is like a big birthday party for a new temple or statue!

During the ceremony, a special mantra is chanted while offerings of flowers, fruits, and sweets are given to the statue or temple. This is done to invite the divine energy of the deity or God/goddess into the statue or temple, which makes it holy.

The priest performing the ceremony will also use special tools, like a sacred thread (called a mauli), to tie around the statue or temple to give it extra blessings.

Once this is all done, the statue or temple is said to be "alive" because it now has the energy of the deity or God/goddess inside it. This means that people can pray and worship at the temple or to the statue and connect with the divine energy that has been invited in.

So, to sum it up, prana pratishtha is a special ceremony that is like a big birthday party for a new temple or statue. It invites the divine energy of the deity or God/goddess into the statue or temple, making it holy and alive.