Why Coconut is Broken before God?
Coconut has got great religious significance in India. It’s one of the most common offerings in any temple. Coconut is also known as Shrifala, which means God’s Fruit. Coconut plays a vital role in puja rituals. It is also offered on occasions like weddings, festivals, inauguration of a vehicle, house etc. It is tied as Torana at the door of homes during all auspicious functions, also given to a bride before she leaves for her in law’s place after the wedding. Coconut is the symbol of fertility in Indian culture. There is also a belief that, if any one destroys a coconut tree, will oneself get destroyed.
Ancient tales of Hindu mythology reveal that, there used to be a custom of offering a person to the god for the prosperity of rest of the community. But as it involved an unethical, inhuman brutal killing of a person, it got replaced by breaking or offering a coconut in lieu of a person. Coconut’s hard cover resembles the head of a human being and breaking of coconut is seen as breaking our ego because it is believed that god expects his devotees to be egoless and pure hearted. Gradually it became so prevalent that today it’s a vital ritual while worshiping any God or Goddess in Hindu religion.
