Anointing

====India====
[[File:Shravanbelgola Gomateshvara head white.jpg|thumb|[[Jainism|Jain]] [[Abhisheka]] at [[Shravana Belgola|Śravaṇa Beḷgoḷa]]]]
{{Further|Abhisheka}}
In [[religions of India|Indian religion]], [[historical Vedic religion|late Vedic]] rituals developed involving the anointing of government officials, worshippers, and idols. These are now known as [[abhisheka]]. The practice spread to [[Buddhism in India|Indian Buddhists]].{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} In modern [[Hinduism]] and [[Jainism]], anointment is common, although the practice typically employs water or yoghurt, milk, or (particularly) butter{{sfnp|EB|1911|p=79}} from the [[cattle in religion|holy cow]], rather than oil. Many devotees are anointed as an act of consecration or blessing at every stage of life, with rituals accompanying [[birthing]], educational enrollments, [[initiation|religious initiation]]s, and [[last rites|death]].{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} New buildings, houses, and ritual instruments are anointed,{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} and some idols are anointed daily. Particular care is taken in such rituals to the ''direction'' of the smearing. People are anointed from head to foot, downwards.{{sfnp|EB|1911|p=79}} The water may derive from [[list of major rivers of India|one of the holy rivers]] or be scented with [[saffron]], [[turmeric]], or [[flower]] [[infusion]]s; the waste water produced when cleaning certain idols or when [[Indian calligraphy|writing certain verses]] of scripture may also be used.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} Ointments may include ashes, clay, powdered [[sandalwood]], or herbal pastes.