Our forefathers have given great importance not only to intellectual capabilities, but also to our intense feelings and holy desires. Weaving all these together they have presented us the gift of a very unique culture.
We visualize our Gods whilst worshipping the idols. By putting a little light crimson Sindur' on a stone, a Hindu can visualize Hanuman. We have deified the Sun and the Moon and we worship Varuna, the God of rains. Yet every Hindu knows that this idol is but a step towards God who is one. From Gods Sakar and Saguna (God with form and qualities), one progresses towards Gods Nirakar and Nirgun (formless Gods with no qualities). It is easy to visualize a form to concentrate on and when the devotees progress towards salvation, he becomes one with Him and the Universe. Such is a lofty ideal given to us by our wise Rushis and Seers. We are indebted to our rushimunis (sages) for the inheritance of such cultural view points.
God Varuna brings rains and this provides the water of life for us. Therefore we worship him at the commencement of all good deeds. The ponds, lakes, rivers and oceans remain full due to the rains, which generally come during the monsoons in India. We fill this water in a copper container called Kalash and thus establishing the presence of God Varuna in it, we worship Him. Thus the Kalash has become a glorious symbol of our culture and the ordinary water contained in it is considered holy. The presence of God Varuna is invoked where the jug is ceremoniously placed and the worshipper is thereby blessed.
The metal Kalash is considered to represent the human body. Just as it contains water, a tiny part of the large collection in the rivers and oceans, so does the human body contain a soul, a fragment of the Universal Consciousness. The Kalash without water and the body without soul are both useless. The Kalash, full of water, demonstrates to us the omnipresence of the Brahmin who occupies an important place in the Hindu society.
At the top of the temples, also, there is a symbolic Kalash which symbolizes full worship. So having reverently seen the idol of God inside the temple, one is effected to view the Kalash with the same reverence.
Hindus, before occupying a new house, place the Vastu Kalash in that house, hoping and praying to live happily with their family in that place. Thus establishing the presence of Gods and Goddesses in the small Kalash, we hope to destroy all our sins and to achieve everlasting happiness.
We bow to our great ancient sages, who remain, till this day, the torch-bearers of our culture.