Like I mentioned earlier that coconut is worshiped in India, so this plant is used in many rituals and ceremonies. In some northern continent of India, coconut is praised as Sriphala – the fruit of Sri the goddess of wealth. This believing can be found in the Indonesia, there is tradition custom in some region that the coconut water must be pouring into the land before farming or ploughing. By doing this, they believe that the rain will downpour enough for the plant growth.
Coconut is representing to the god Shiva, due to its three “eyes” on their skull that resemble to the three eyes of Shiva. In many Hindu rituals, includes Kalasha puja ritual, coconut is used as the marks of the Tridevs (Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu). The coconut used in Kalasha puja is said the object blessed by the Tridevs, so they’ll kept it in their household, for their house would be blessed all the time, until the next puja comes that the coconut form the previous use is offers to flowing in the river.
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| The arrangement in Kalasha Puja, the pot is filled with water and mango leaves, with the coconut on top (picture from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalasha) |
Since the coconut is resemble the human head, the smashing of the coconut in Hindu means releasing the individual selfness and purifying their mind. The broken coconut also means the broken of any obstruction. Nowadays, this ritual is done before the starting of new business as a sign of break apart anything that would be holding back success.
Coconut is also used in the funeral, too. In many countries includes Thailand, coconut water is believed that is one of the most purify water, in the same of the water from Ganges the sacred river. The custom to use the coconut water to purify the dead bodies can be found in many countries in South and South-eastern Asia. Unlike other region, the funeral of Tamil people in some regions is carried by the bodies are smashed with the whole coconut fruits before burning to ash.
In Thailand, coconut is also used in the Royal Swimming Ceremony, a ceremony to purifying the body of the Royal family (and training them in the swimming). During the ceremony, the participating Prince is going into the water with a pair of germinated coconuts covered with golden and silver paper. The germinated coconut is the symbol of the growth and success, so the Prince with the coconut would growth and success in the future. The coconut also helps in floating, so the Prince would not be drown during the ceremony.
In Myanmar, the coconut is used as the offering to the Nat, the guardian spirit in Burmese culture. This plant is used to worshiping two head Nat, Nga Tin De and Shwe Myat Hla. This custom was started in the era of King Kyanzittha. The legend told that these two Nat were helping King Kyanzittha so much until he claimed the right over the throne. Respect from their help, King Kyanzhittha announced them as the Head of the Royal Nat and told his people to worship them with the coconut fruit. The offered coconut can use as a sigh to predict the health of people in the household when illness is happen. If the coconut water still full and the flesh still fresh, the illness will gone in the recent time with no serious damage. If the coconut water is dried, the illness will worsen. The new coconut offering should be replaced to prevent the worsening of illness.
And the story of coconut in a part of the rituals and ceremonies would be end here.
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