Salangai Pooja, also known as Salangai Puja or Ghungroo Puja, is a traditional practice in Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form of India. It is a ceremony where the dancer performs the ritual of blessing their ankle bells, known as “salangai” in Tamil, which are an essential component of the Bharatanatyam dance.
The ceremony is usually performed by the dancer in the presence of their guru, family, and friends. It involves the offering of flowers, fruits, and other symbolic items to the salangai, followed by the recitation of mantras and hymns to invoke the blessings of the divine and the dance gods.
The salangai are considered sacred in Bharatanatyam and are believed to possess the power to enhance the dancer’s performance and elevate their spiritual and artistic experience. Through the Salangai Pooja, the dancer seeks to imbue the bells with divine energy and blessings, thereby enhancing their own performance.
The ceremony also serves as a way for the dancer to express their gratitude towards their guru, who has trained and guided them in their journey of learning the dance form. It is a mark of respect and honor towards the teacher, and a way to seek their blessings for a successful performance.
Overall, the Salangai Pooja is a significant ritual in Bharatanatyam that symbolizes the importance of the ankle bells in the dance form and highlights the dancer’s reverence and devotion towards their guru and the divine.