Source: – @Ashwinsampathk / Twitter.
Vedic secrets- Preparing Ashtabandam,Traditionally the deity in a temple is fixed to the pedestal using a medical natural adhesive.The process is laborious and takes many weeks and lots of efforts. Here is a clip of their prepration.glad to see the participation of all(1/6) pic.twitter.com/oshdQOZpdv
— Ashwin Sampatkumaran (@Ashwinsampathk) June 5, 2019
Ashtabandham is a Sanskrit word and means a mix (bandham) of eight (ashta) ingredients. The process of applying ashtabandham to the idol is done every 12 years and is known as ‘Ashtabandha samprokshanam. this is only process used to fix deity in south india to date! (2/6)
— Ashwin Sampatkumaran (@Ashwinsampathk) June 5, 2019
he eight ingredients that go into it are finely powdered conch, gall-nut,sealing wax,gooseberry, resin of ‘pinus dammar’,two varieties of gravel from triveni sangam and cotton. It is only in the final stage of the preparation in the temple that cotton is added to the mixture(3/6)
— Ashwin Sampatkumaran (@Ashwinsampathk) June 5, 2019
All these ingredients have their own latent sticky consistency and the process of hammering them into the appropriate texture is done with a tamrind wooden hammer which gives a kind of heat as they hammer(4/6)
— Ashwin Sampatkumaran (@Ashwinsampathk) June 5, 2019
As the process progresses, the mixture acquires a waxen consistency. Once this consistency is attained, the mixture is ready to perform its role of the mortar binding the deity to the pedestal. the water flowing down this ashtabandha is said to have medicinal properties. (5/6)
— Ashwin Sampatkumaran (@Ashwinsampathk) June 5, 2019
its so heartwarming to see that to this day the all generations come together to prepare this unique mixture to keep up with ancient vedic traditons.its not easy to make it as the hammer weighs about 15kg! and takes 41 days min.Sanathana dharma is beautiful and simply wonderful.
— Ashwin Sampatkumaran (@Ashwinsampathk) June 5, 2019
