Why do we perform pradakshina?
We walk around the temple, the tulasi plant, the sacred fire and even a whole mountain — always clockwise. Why? A story of Ganesha and Kartikeya holds the most beautiful answer.
The verse
Keeping the divine on the right
Pradakṣiṇā means "to the right" — walking clockwise around a sacred object so that it is always on one's right, the side of respect. It is done around temples, deities, the sacred fire at a wedding (the saptapadi and pheras), the tulasi plant and holy hills like Arunachala and Govardhana.
The race around the world
Shiva and Parvati once offered a divine fruit to whichever of their sons could go around the world first. Kartikeya leapt onto his peacock and flew off. Ganesha, on his small mouse, simply smiled…
The journey continues for members
- Ganesha's answer
- Why clockwise
- Practice
Sources
- Skanda Purana and Tamil tradition — the fruit story (versions differ)
- Agama texts — temple worship