Panchayatana puja is the system of worship which was most common in every house till few decades ago. The Panchayatana is a system which consists of the worship of five deities:
"Adityam Ambikaam Vishnum Gananaatam Maheswaram"
Aditya is Surya; Ambika is Devi; Vishnu is
Narayana; Gananaatham is Ganesha, Mahesvara is shiva.
These five are the great divine force whom every householder worships as pancha devata puja. Based on the tradition followed by the family, one of these deities is kept in the center and the other four surround it and worship is offered to all the deities.
The panchayatana scheme represent the five elements:
AkAshasyAdhipo viShNuH agneshchaiva maheshvarI |
vAyoH sUryaH kShiterIshaH jIvanasya gaNAdhipaH ||
Akasha : Space : Vishnu
Vahni : Fire : AmbikA
Vayu : Air : Aditya
kShiti : Earth : Shiva
Jala : Water : Ganapati
All the five deities are not Panchaloha or any other metal idols; But these five are represented by small natural stones found in various parts of Bharatha Desham.
Deity Stone River Place
Jala : Water Ganesha Red Sonabhadra Sone Bihar
Vayu : Air Surya Crystal Vallam Tamil Nadu (Tanjavur)
Akasha Space Vishnu Saligrama Gandaki Nepal
kShiti : Earth Shiva Bana Linga Narmada Madhya Pradesh
Vahni : Fire Ambika Swarna Mukhi Swarnamukhi Andhra Pradesh
