Why do we walk around the temple?
Pradakshina: why we walk clockwise around a shrine, a sacred fire or even our parents, and what keeping the sacred “on our right” means.
The 60-second answer · for ages 5–10
At the temple, people often walk slowly around the shrine, always in the same direction, with God on their right side. This walk is called pradakshina. Why do we do it? Think of the planets going round the sun: the sun is in the middle, and everything moves around it. When we walk around God, we're saying, “You are at the centre of my life.” Lord Ganesha did it too! He once walked around his parents and said, “You are my whole world.”
For parents · the deeper why
At almost every Hindu temple you’ll see it: people walking slowly around the central shrine, hands folded, sometimes murmuring a prayer. Some go round once, some three times, some many more. This walk is called pradakṣiṇa (often said pradakshina or parikrama).
What the word means
Pradakṣiṇa comes from pra (forward) and dakṣiṇa (right). It means moving forward with the sacred on your right-hand side, which means walking clockwise. In Indian tradition the right side is the side of respect and auspiciousness, so keeping the deity on your right is a way of honouring them.
Why walk around?
As commonly taught, there are a few beautiful ideas here:
- The centre of our life. Just as the planets circle the sun, walking around the shrine says: you are at the centre, and my life moves around you.
- Seeing from every side. We don’t just stand in front and look; we take time, and come close all the way round.
- A moving meditation. Slow steps, a quiet prayer, and the busy mind begins to settle.
Not only at temples
The same gesture appears all through Hindu life. In the epics, people honour sages, elders and sacred fires by walking around them. At a Hindu wedding, the couple walk around the sacred fire together, a rite described in the ancient household manuals called the Gṛhya Sūtras. Many people walk around a tulsi plant or a sacred tree. (See Why do we keep a tulsi plant at home?)
And in the much-loved story, when Lord Ganesha had to race around the whole world, he simply walked around his parents. (See Why do we pray to Lord Ganesha first?)
How families do it differently
- Some temples have a set number of rounds (often three); others leave it to you.
- In some temples the walk around the outer path is long and done barefoot as a special act of devotion.
- At home, some people turn around once on the spot, clockwise, at the end of a puja, which counts as a small pradakshina.
- At temples of Lord Shiva, many devotees walk a partial round and turn back before crossing the channel that carries water from the shrine. Customs differ, and the priest or a regular visitor is always happy to explain.
Try this at home
Next time you visit a temple, do one slow pradakshina together. Ask your child to think of one thing they're thankful for with each step around.
Sources
- Gṛhya Sūtras (e.g. Āśvalāyana Gṛhya Sūtra 1.7) — the wedding rite, in which the couple walk around the sacred fire
- Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata (many passages) — people honour sages, elders and sacred fires by circling them, keeping them on the right
- Living tradition (not scripture) — the number of rounds and the way of walking vary by temple, region and family
Written in our own words from public-domain texts, as a simple way in. The original texts are always the best teacher. Spotted something to improve? Tell us.
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