Pranapratishtha

(“establishing the prana”) Pranapratishtha
is the final rite in the consecration of a
deity’s image, usually performed by
brahmins, since they have the necessary
ritual purity and training. The image is
infused with the breath of life (prana)
through the performance of ritual and
the intoning of sacred sounds known as
mantras. After this rite is performed, the
deity is believed to be resident in the
image, which thereafter must be treated
with the care such a spiritual entity
requires.