Latha's Request for Puja Info

[Guest guest]

Greetings Latha,

I hope the following info will be helpful for your puja

tomorrow night:

1) While reciting the appropriate mantra, you tie the sacred thread

(often a thick red thread like embroidery thread) around the right

wrist (for males) or left wrist (for females) of the person(s) for

whom you are performing the puja in a simple knot.

 

2) When reciting the sankalpa part of the puja, after you say the

tithi (name of the day), then you say the gotra (the family name) of

the person, then you say "your Sanskrit name krtaitat", then "the

other person's name krtaitat" if they are going to be participating

in the performance of the worship with you.

 

3) You can invite the other person to participate in the worship as

much or as little as you wish. Just remember to purify their hands

with water at the altar if they are going to assist with the

offerings to the chosen deity.

 

 

4) Often the pujari will educate the person/family regarding the

appropriate items that they can prepare ahead of time to be offered

in the puja: a red cloth or item of clothing, flowers and a flower

mala to put around the murthi, statue, or picture, incense, a ghee

light or a candle, fruits, food, and/or ladoos (Ghanesh especially

loves sweets), a cup of water, the things to make the charan amrit

(a little milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, sugar, and rose water), the

colored powders and rice grains, and dakshina (donation). Other

items that people offer are jewelry, bracelets, scented oil, a

rudraksha bead, etc.

 

5) Usually near the end of the puja, the pujari teaches and invites

the individual/family to recite one mala of mantras of their chosen

deity out loud, and also to sing the Chalisa or a bhajan about the

chosen deity. followed by a closing prayer.

 

If any other pujaris out there have something to add to help Latha,

please do! Latha, I know you'll have a happy puja! Kamala