Abishekam is basically a chance for us to invoke the cosmic energy into a murti, into a statue, into an idol before us. (SV.: we basically manifest). So, when we perform abishekam it´s an opportunity for us to interact and to have physical contact with this cosmic energy. The whole process of abishekam is rooted in the Indian custom of how we welcome a guest into our home. In India there is a Vedic slogan which says: “Adity deity pabha”, which means: “the guest is God”. So when a guest comes, the first thing we do is, we offer him a seat. We say: “Asanam samat payami”, which basically means: “we offer you a seat”. Next, after a guest comes to a house they probably travelled a long time, so we wash their feet. And that is: “Padyam samat payami”, which is: “we wash your feet, refresh the feet after a long journey”. Next we offer them a drink, we wash their mouth because they are probably parched, they are very thirsty after a long journey. These are the preliminary things.
Than we offer them a bath. We change their cloths and we bathe them. Firstly we use water, which is a great purifier, it cleans everything. And we wash the deity before us. Next we offer the five elements, which are milk, yoghurt, ghee, honey, sugar. These five elements are also present within our own bodies. And every time we offer the milk, the honey, the ghee, the sugar and the yoghurt we ask for purification and balance of these elements, both within us and also in the external universe. Thus, the abishekam is a chance for us to purify our own selves, our own bodies and our own spiritual being as well as the external universe. We offer ourselves before the Lord, we offer all our negative qualities and we ask for purification when we bathe the murti. Once we have offered all these things, the curtain is drawn. This curtain represents the veil of maya. This maya is the illusion, it separates us from our own individual inner selves. The murti that we perform the abishekam with, is also this inner self that we have inside ourselves. So, all offerings we make to this external murti, all these offerings we make to our own inner higher self. The maya is stopping us from identifying who our real self is. Behind the curtain everyone is busy dressing the murtis, making them look nice and putting jewels, crowns on them, making the murti look re-presentable for the darshan. And in the meantime we are singing so our mind is kept focussed on God. Eventually the curtain is opened which means, maya has been dropped. And so you have darshan of the Lord in front of you. This darshan of the Lord is also representative of your own inner darshan of your true identity, your true self.