The one common thing that you get to see at the temples is removing the footwear, washing the feet, praying, and so on. Now the question is why does everyone indulge in removing their footwear and wash their foot? In this excerpt, we will try to unearth the reason behind washing the feet before entering a temple.
Is it a part of the purification ritual?
All our dear elders say that washing the feet helps in getting rid of all the impurities and hence gets clean and ready to pray to the deity. Hence, this is how we are introduced to this tradition. But did you know of the scientific reasons behind this practice? Let’s find out!
The scientific reason behind Washing the Feet
Well, this is partially correct. But the real deal behind this is a great scientific reason. Surprised?! We know you will be. Entering the temple, people circumambulate around the garbha gudi. Earlier temples had flat slab stone laid as circumambulation area. The flat slab stone tends to absorb the heat from the heat waves, and hence the floor is usually hot. We know that water can absorb the heat, and hence washing the feet right before entering the temple prevents the burning of the foot to an extent. So, this practice of washing the foot before entering the temples had started.
Another theory
There is also another theory for washing the feet before entering the temple. The feet usually have many impurities carried along. So, when the person enters a temple without washing the foot, it reduces the capacity to absorb holy sattva waves. So, the next time you enter a temple, make sure that you are washing your foot and also share the same information with all your family and friends. This might really help them.
