Coconut-Banana-Betal Leaves in Pooja

COCONUT:   Coconut is very important in all Poojas.  In the theertha-kalasam along with
mango leaves centrally placed with its tips pointing upwards. The tip
attracts holy vibrations and transmits them back into atmosphere in the
form of fountain.  The three eyes on coconut remind us about Triyambeshwar.
The breaking up of coconut symbolizes the breaking up of our ego.
In fact, no part of coconut is considered wasteful. It teaches us to serve
others in every possible way. ..

BANANAS: We pray to God for the beauty and purity of our minds. We reap the fruits of our past deeds.  These karmic fruits keep us in the cycle of births and deaths. By offering fruits we pray to God to free us from bad actions that we performed in this life and sweetness in our thoughts, speech and action so that out good conduct reaches out to other people.

BETEL LEAVES: Betel leaves are a symbol of freshness, prosperity and confidence.
For marriage decision, exchanging and handing over pan leaves ‘thamboolam’
is confirmation of deals.  It denotes the successful of the Pooja done.
The pooja is incomplete stage without thamboolam samarpanam.

Considering its religious significance and usefulness, coconut, banana, and betel leaves are having a unique form of production naturally, which are considered to be “Sacred fruits” too. All other are tainted fruits i.e.partially eaten fruits, grows from the seed of another eaten fruit and that fruit is treated as tainted. For example, the apple tree grows from the seed of another eaten fruit and that fruit is treated as tainted. In the case of coconut, banana and betel leaves,  the shell or the leaves or the sleeves is not used for anything.
To grow a coconut tree, you have to sow the entire coconut itself, Banana tree grows with the sampling and betel leaves from its own stumps.This is the reason why Coconut, Banana and betel leaves, has an important place in all religious activities. Our Ancestors had found this reality long ago and they had made it as a system which is still followed religiously.