Here is your paragraph on Vedic Rituals!

The Aryans worshipped the grand and the terrible aspects of nature as gods so that they might grant them their prayers. Indra, Varuna, Agni etc., were their chief deities. But they never forgot that god is one.

In fact the many were worshipped as manifestations of the one. They performed their worship in the open air. Chanting of hymns, in which all the members of the family took an active part, was an important feature of such worship in the open air.

The central feature of the Vedic rituals was the performance of sacrifices and daily prayers. These sacrifices, which were performed daily were very simple one and could easily be performed by the members of the family themselves. In these sacrifices offerings of milk, grains and ghee, etc. were made.

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Besides these daily sacrifices there were some elaborate or grand sacrifices which were performed on some special festivals. They were very costly and could be performed by the kings or the aristocratic people. These were performed by a large number of priests and continued for several days and sometimes for several months.

It is held that along with the offerings of milk, grains and ghee, etc., the offering of flesh and the “Soma” were also made in these elaborate sacrifices. These sacrifices and Yajnas were performed- with great interest and care to invoke the blessings of the gods.

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Vedic rituals became more and more complex and it was somewhat difficult to understand it. New ceremonies and rituals were gaining importance day by day in the religion of the later Vedic Aryans. In place of simple sacrifices now many elaborate sacrifices lasting for months together, had come into prominence.

The common people developed a sort of faith in which craft, charms, spells and spirits during this period. In order to cure their disease and to destroy their rivals and enemies the people and now begun to depend on magic and charms. This period also saw the rise of snake-worship.

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