Meaning and Relevance of Hindu Puja - AUM Karma

Puja/ Pooja/ Pujalu is a religious Hindu ceremony, performed by devotees at home or at religious places/ temples called Mandir/ Mandira/ Gudi. The word puja is derived from the Dravidian pu (meaning flower). In its literal sense, puja usually involves making an offering of flowers or fruit to an image/ statue/ idol of a god. The components of a puja vary greatly according to the ethnicity, community, region, needs of devotees and religious preachings. Generally speaking, in a puja, a deity, manifested in an image/ idol/ statue, is accorded the honour given to a royal guest. The attentions (upacharas) are paid to the deity in the morning, , and extend through the day, the serving of the usual three meals, and the final ceremony of putting the deity to bed for the night.

A puja may also include a circumambulation (pradakshina) of the image or shrine and, in an elaborate ritual, a sacrifice (bali) and oblation to the sacred fire (homa). Special ceremonies according to the festival calendar may also be observed, such as swinging the god or playing games according to the season.

An important part of puja in Indian temple and private worship is arati, the waving of lighted lamps along-with incense sticks before an image/ idol of a deity or a person to be honoured. In performing the rite, the worshipper circles the lamp three or more times in a clockwise direction while chanting a prayer or singing a hymn. In Indian households, arati is a commonly observed ritual element accorded specially honoured guests. It is also a part of many domestic ceremonies.

Some pujas are performed by the worshipper alone, while others may require a ritually qualified person such as a priest/ pujari/ pundit/ shastri/ acharya. A puja may be performed for a specific announced purpose or simply as an act of devotion. Aartis are normally preceded with a Hawan/ Yagya/ Yagna Ceremony.

AUM Karma is an initiative that aims at helping people of Indian community to get access to expert and experienced pujari/ pundits from popular and authentic locations in India. The platform offers devotees from all over the Globe to perform Offline or Online Puja/ Pooja services at the convenience of their homes.