Puja guide · Your chosen deity (ishta devata)

Daily Puja at Home

A short daily puja at the home shrine is the heart of Hindu household worship. It need not be elaborate: a clean place, a lamp, a flower and a few minutes of sincere attention are enough. This simple form uses the five offerings (panchopachara) — fragrance, flowers, incense, lamp and food.

When: Traditionally after bathing in the morning, and again at dusk when the evening lamp is lit. Consistency matters more than length.

Step-by-step puja vidhi

1. Prepare yourself and the space

   Bathe and wear clean clothes. Clean the shrine, remove yesterday’s flowers, and sit facing east or north if possible.

2. Achamana — purify

   Sip a few drops of water three times from the right palm, and sprinkle a little water on yourself and the puja items.

3. Light the lamp

   Light the diya, the witness of the puja, and bow to it.

   शुभं करोति कल्याणम् आरोग्यं धनसम्पदा ।
   शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

   śubhaṃ karoti kalyāṇam ārogyaṃ dhanasampadā | śatrubuddhivināśāya dīpajyotirnamo’stu te ||

4. Remember Ganesha

   Begin every puja by remembering Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.

   ॐ गं गणपतये नमः

   oṃ gaṃ gaṇapataye namaḥ

   Chant with the mantra counter →

5. Panchopachara — the five offerings

   Offer, one by one, while repeating the deity’s name mantra: chandan or kumkum (fragrance), flowers, incense, the lamp (show it to the deity), and naivedya (food). After offering food, sprinkle a little water around it and leave it before the deity for a few moments.

6. Prayer and japa

   Recite your daily prayer or a few shlokas, or chant your chosen mantra — for example a mala of 108.

   Open the mantra counter →

7. Aarti

   Wave the lamp clockwise before the deity while ringing the bell and singing an aarti such as Om Jai Jagdish Hare.

8. Close

   Bow down, ask forgiveness for any mistakes, and share the prasad with your family.