The meaning behind Parikrama – walking around divinity

Circular Path Signifies Reverence

Parikrama, the going around on the right hand (of a god or shrine) is the very thing that implies something far more serious than custom. This rotational motion puts the sacred object in the center of the middle, or full concentration and dedication. The endless journey is an epitome of infinite commitment and it blasts away ego. A physical act, Parikrama is a sign of humility and submission to the fact that the divinity is all-encompassing and is sacred in all directions at once. It expresses as devout practice through conscious agency of the divine origin.

Symbolic Alignment With Divine Energy

Parikrama, circumambulation around a sacred place or deity is a direct association of identity with the divine power. This turning motion places the devotee physically at the centre of this sacred presence resembling the order of the cosmos. They have different circuits consisting of moving closer and closer to the center of the divine, which represents spiritual progress. The targeted behavior directs the mind and body into giving energy into the item of worship. The full circle around the altar represents respect, submissiveness and the desire to balance life with the spiritual force that comes out of the center of the place. 

Mimicking Cosmic Order Through Motion

The process of Parikrama or circumambulating a god or an image is a direct imitation of cosmic order through prescribed movement. This rotation is physically simulating the direction of a perceived relative movement of celestial bodies like the sun in the sky or the planets in relation to a center. Correspondence of human action with this basic universal design means being part of the natural order and the cyclic occurrence of life. The round movement conveys the meaning of holiness, continuity, degrees of ascent to the divine core, proving the incorporation of the believer in the ordered universe of sacred movement.

Centering Consciousness on Sacred Presence

Parikrama is the devotional practice when the awareness is focused on the presence of God within temples or gods themselves. This counter-clockwise motion diverts attention away from distractions and into the center which is sacred. All these actions indicate deliberate closeness to the divine that gives rise to greater awareness. The physical representation of putting the sacred as the absolute focal point is the circular path. This process of touring the object of worship actively focuses the attention thus developing a direct contact with the sacredness of that thing. The ritual develops undying attention to divine presence.

Ritual Purification Via Focused Circumambulation

Parikrama is a form of religious worship and is a form of concentrated circumambulation around a holiness. This counter-clockwise walking (Pradakshina) is one of the fundamental processes of ritual purification. The divine presence is kept as the important point in the circular movement maintained by the devotee. Both slow and careful movements are casting off distractions and cares of mind as well as worldly attachment. The endless loop encourages a sharp focus over and over again to the quasi-holy navel. Such special acts scatter accumulated spiritual impurities. The goals of the circumambulation are to complete the journey in order to get back to the starting point, to cleanse inwardly and restore a spiritual orientation by means of refined focus and concentration on divinity.