Sharing the Vahan Puja (worship of vehicles) with my son
Dussehra or Vijayadashami is a festival to celebrate the victory of good over evil and apart from celebration, there is a deeply personal, mandatory ritual in our household that truly anchors the spirit of this day - the beautiful tradition of Vahan Puja or worship of vehicles. In our culture, tools, machinery, and vehicles are never treated as mere inanimate, mechanical objects. They are revered as extensions of divine energy that help us sustain our livelihoods, keep our daily routines moving, and, most importantly, safely transport our families. This annual ritual is an expression of deep gratitude to these silent partners in our journeys, acknowledging the divine energy flowing through the instruments of our daily life.
This year’s celebration held an even deeper meaning for me, as I took the opportunity to actively involve my son and pass down these foundational family rituals to him. It is one thing to watch a tradition, but an entirely different experience to participate in it, understanding the why behind every single action. The entire process turned into a wonderful family affair that required dedication and care, which involved cleaning of every single vehicle we own - from the cars down to the humble two-wheelers and even bicycles, nothing was left behind. To ease our burden a bit, we had actually taken the cars to the showroom for a professional service just three or four days prior. Yet, tradition is tradition, so we still sprinkled water over the wheels to symbolically purify them before the ritual began. The bicycles, however, were a completely different story. My son and I had to roll up our sleeves and scrub those down ourselves - after all, there is no authorized service showroom for a bicycle 😀
Watching him participate in the ritual with pride made me realize that these manual moments are where values are truly inherited. Once all the vehicles were ready, we beautifully adorned the front panels with marigold flower garlands and ensured everything was kept perfectly ready.
We then welcomed our temple priest, who came to officially perform the sacred rituals. I had my son stand close by to observe the precision of the ceremony. With experienced hands, the priest drew the Swastika - the ancient symbol of auspiciousness and protection - onto the vehicles and tied the sacred red fabric tied with bangles, to the steering wheels, adding a profound layer of sanctity to our efforts.
The culmination of the puja under the priest's guidance was filled with immense focus and reverence. He lit the camphor and incense sticks, chanting sacred mantras while performing the aarti around the vehicles to invoke Goddess Durga's blessings to remove obstacles and protect our future paths.
After the priest performed the rituals, we moved to the highly anticipated final step - placing four fresh lemons underneath the tires. Sitting behind the wheel, starting the ignition, and driving forward to crush the lemons served as our traditional shield to ward off negative energies.
Seeing my son witness the rituals made me incredibly proud to pass down a tradition that keeps our family grounded, safe, and protected for all the journeys in the year ahead. As a parent, it's absolutely necessary to teach them the value of our traditions, ensuring they carry these anchors of gratitude, humility, and culture with them as they navigate their own paths in life.
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