UNITED STATES, April 2011 (by Roy Ritchie for Car and Driver): Getting to drive a Cadillac CTS-V wagon for 40,000 miles is a blessing in itself, but with 556 horsepower on tap, we figured it couldn’t hurt to have our newest long-termer blessed by a Hindu priest. So we took it in for a pooja, which is a Hindu ceremony. Poojas are often performed on everyday machines, tools, or objects. The ritual may seem odd to some Westerners, but the Hindu faith says that everything is connected to God, even material goods such as cars. Hindus bless a vehicle to ask deities to purify and safeguard the machine, to express appreciation, and to request that the car operate in a fruitful manner. Here’s how it was done:
After praying and making an offering of uncooked rice inside the temple, head priest Shiv Kumar Bhat walks out to the car and chants ancient Vedic mantras in Sanskrit while sprinkling holy water over the hood and windshield. This is to purify the car. While chanting more Vedic mantras, the priest draws a six-pointed star on the hood using turmeric powder. The star symbolizes protection from evil and obstacles.
Next, Bhat dabs sandalwood paste and turmeric powder around the grille to mark the occasion and to decorate the car. After opening the driver’s door, the priest chants and sanctifies the interior by marking the steering wheel with a dot of the sandalwood paste. Often a coconut is broken as an offering. The ceremony ends with the priest igniting camphor and praying. The whole affair takes just five minutes and a suggested contribution of $25 to the temple. Definitely worth it.