(Sanskrit: affusion). An integral part of the ancient Indian royal crowning ceremony, abhisheka was the custom where water from the four oceans was poured out of golden jars onto the head of the seated monarch during his accession ceremony and also during the investiture ceremony of his heir apparent.
In Tantric or esoteric Buddhism, abhisheka is a purificatory or initiatory rite in which a candidate is sprinkled with water or other liquid, signifying a change in status. The abhisheka is a necessary prelude to initiation into mystical teaching or rites.
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