Is the practice of bringing an idol to a temple to be sanctified and then taking it home sanctioned?

Question

A practice I saw reported:

I actually just bring my deities (if brand new) to the Mandir... specially wrapped and carried in like a baby... and ask the Priest to do PranPrastishta for my new Murti. And so he does a simple prayer with the murti (and me too?? - I forget)... And from there I bring the murti home and when I wanna pray or have formal puja I just begin by ringing the bell... etc..

I have seen a "renewal of power" ceremony of an idol and it is based on capturing the power of Vedic chants in water in kalashas and bathing the idol using the sanctified water by bathed and sanctified priests. The idol is sanctified where it would be worshipped going forward - not sanctified somewhere else and carried by the devotee back home.

This semi-"Do it yourself" procedure seems new. Is it allowed per scripture?

Answer 1

It is quite obvious that such a practice is against the scriptures.For Prana-pratistha,a detailed worship with sixteen upacharas is advised in the Puja-vidhi books.In non-earthen idols, praana-pratistha once done means the vigraha has to be worshipped and offered bhoga as per scripture without any break and end by proper brahmins.Praana once given can never be taken back except the earthen idols, which have to be immersed sfter mantika visarjana.All these are parts of Vaidhi Bhakti.

The go as you like or do as you like approaches are reserved for people mad in love of God who forget the external world. They are free from all such injuction as they have developed Pema/Raaganuga bhakti. In bhaktamal, there are instances of not obeying scriptural orders by saints in highly exalted state. But for common men, this is never approved by the saastras.