रुद्राभिषेक पूजा

Rudrabhishek is the panchamrut abhishek of Lord Trimbakeshwar — milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar poured over the Jyotirlinga while the Rudram is chanted. It is the simplest of the Vedic rituals and, in the Shaiva tradition, among the most powerful.

The Rudri path may be recited once, eleven times or one hundred and eight times depending on the sankalp. Each repetition intensifies the offering; families often choose Laghurudra for a specific wish such as recovery from illness, a new venture or a child's future.

Because the abhishek asks nothing complicated of the devotee, it is also the ritual most often repeated — on Mondays, in Shravan, on Pradosh and Mahashivratri, and as the closing act of larger nivaran pujas.