Prana pratishta
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Prana pratistha is the Hindu theological term for a rite or ceremony (Samskara in Sanskrit) by which the spirit or being of a deity is infused or brought to inhabit a murti or cult image of that deity.
According to orthodox Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma, this rite can only be performed by a practising Hindu Brahmin and it is only after this rite is properly performed, that divine worship can be offered to the murti or idol.
Further, according to Hindu theology, persons belonging to certain classes or castes, who have not performed or who are ineligible to have the Upanayana samskara performed on them, so that they can become true Hindus (i.e., Dvijas), are forbidden to come in the presence of such a murti after the Prana pratistha ceremony, even if, as in certain areas, the murti was prepared by them.
These prohibited classes or castes are the Shudras besides every non-Hindu, including Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Muslims, etc., besides all foreigners; these are considered to belong to the class of men considered even lower than the Shudras, and specifically called the Mlecchas.
Additionally, menstruating women are also prohibited to present themselves until cleansed.
The practical applications of these rules, however, vary according to the strength of popular Hinduism and anti-Brahmin traditions in particular regions.
| Hinduism |  |
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| Śruti | Smriti | Denominations | Hindu deities | Gurus and Saints | Schools of Hinduism | Karma and Dharma | Moksha | Yoga | Mantras | Jyotish and Ayurveda |
