Nature's Pearl..

A coconut (Sanskrit: narikela ) is an
essential element of rituals in
Hindu tradition. Often it is
decorated with bright metal foils
and other symbols of
auspiciousness. It is offered
during worship to a Hindu god or
goddess. Irrespective of their
religious affiliations, fishermen of
India often offer it to the rivers
and seas in the hopes of having
bountiful catches. Hindus often
initiate the beginning of any new
activity by breaking a coconut to
ensure the blessings of the gods
and successful completion of the
activity. The Hindu goddess of
well-being and wealth, Lakshmi, is
often shown holding a coconut.
In the foothills of the temple
town of Palani , before going to
worship Murugan for the Ganesha,
coconuts are broken at a place
marked for the purpose. Every day,
thousands of coconuts are broken,
and some devotees break as many
as 108 coconuts at a time as per
the prayer. In tantric practices,
coconuts are sometimes used as
substitutes for human
skulls.
Coconut flowers
In Hindu wedding ceremonies, a
coconut is placed over the
opening of a pot, representing a
womb. Coconut flowers are
auspicious symbols and are
fixtures at Hindu and Buddhist
weddings and other important
occasions. In Kerala, coconut
flowers must be present during a
marriage ceremony. The flowers
are inserted into a barrel of
unhusked rice (paddy) and placed
within sight of the wedding
ceremony. Similarly in Sri Lanka,
coconut flowers, standing in brass
urns, are placed in prominent
positions.