<P> The idea of "blessed water" is used in virtually all Buddhist traditions . In the Theravada tradition, water is put into a new pot and kept near a Paritrana ceremony, a blessing for protection . This "lustral water" can be created in a ceremony in which the burning and extinction of a candle above the water represents the elements of earth, fire, and air . This water is later given to the people to be kept in their home . Not only water but also oil and strings are blessed in this ceremony . Most Mahayana Buddhists typically recite sutras or various mantras (typically that of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara for example) numerous times over the water, which is then either consumed or is used to bless homes afterwards . In Vajrayana Buddhism, a Bumpa, a ritual object, is one of the Ashtamangala, used for storing sacred water sometimes, symbolizing wisdom and long life . </P> <P> The Sunni Muslim variety of holy water is the Zamzam water that comes from a spring by The Kaaba . </P> <P> The drinking of "healing water" (āb - i shifā) is a practice in various denominations of Shia Islam . In the tradition of the Twelver Shi'a, many dissolve the dust of sacred locations such as Karbala (khāk - i shifa) and Najaf and drink the water (āb - i shifā) as a cure for illness, both spiritual and physical . The Ismaili tradition involves the practice of drinking water blessed by the Imam of the time . This water is taken in the name of the Imam and has a deep spiritual significance . This is evident from the names used to designate the water, including light (nūr) and ambrosia (amṛt, amī, amīras, amījal). This practice is recorded from the 13th and 14th centuries and continues to the present day . The ceremony is known as ghat - pat in South Asia . </P> <P> In Wicca and other ceremonial magic traditions, a bowl of salt is blessed and a small amount is stirred into a bowl of water that has been ritually purified . In some traditions of Wicca, this mixture of water and salt symbolizes the brine of the sea, which is regarded as the womb of the Goddess, and the source of all life on Earth . The mixture is consecrated and used in many religious ceremonies and magical rituals . </P>

Where did the idea of holy water come from