Why do Hindus circumambulate deities and what is its significance?
When a deity’s idol is consecrated through Prāṇa Pratiṣṭhā, a divine aura forms around the place where the idol is installed. This aura extends a certain distance in all directions from the central point of installation. When a devotee circumambulates within this sacred aura, according to its spiritual energy, they naturally receive spiritual strength and positive energy.
The movement of this divine aura is clockwise. That is why, to receive the radiance and power of divine energy, devotees should always perform circumambulation by moving to the right. In contrast, circumambulating in the opposite direction—toward the left—causes a clash between the motion of the divine aura and the inner spiritual energy of the devotee. As a result, one’s own spiritual vitality may begin to diminish. Therefore, one should never circumambulate a deity in the reverse direction.
While performing circumambulation of any deity, devotees should continuously chant the mantra of that deity silently in their mind. Pushing, talking, eating, drinking, or laughing during circumambulation is strictly prohibited. Wearing garlands made of tulsi, rudraksha, or lotus seeds, which are dear to the deities, is considered highly beneficial. After completing the circumambulation, one should offer a full prostration (sāṣṭāṅga praṇām) before the idol and then sincerely pray for blessings.
Regarding the circumambulation of Lord Shri Hari (Vishnu), the Padma Purana states that a devotee who slowly and reverently circumambulates Lord Shri Hari with complete faith and devotion receives the merit of one Ashvamedha Yajna with every single step taken. For as many steps as the devotee walks during the circumambulation, they are blessed to joyfully reside with Lord Shri Hari in His divine abode for thousands of cosmic ages. The spiritual merit gained from circumambulating Lord Shri Hari is millions of times greater than the merit earned by circumambulating the entire universe.
The more circumambulations one performs around a deity, the greater the benefit received. However, for certain deities, the number of circumambulations is traditionally fixed. For example, Lord Shri Krishna is circumambulated three times, while the Divine Mother (Devi) is circumambulated only once. Generally, performing five or eleven circumambulations is also prescribed.
Unlike all other deities, the circumambulation of Lord Shiva (Mahadev) is performed differently. According to the scriptures, one should never cross the stream of water flowing during Shiva’s abhishek while circumambulating Him. For this reason, Lord Shiva’s circumambulation is never completed in a full circle. Instead, devotees perform half a circumambulation and then return to complete the other half from the same side. It is believed that the radiance of Lord Shiva’s divine aura flows in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
