Vedic Puja
Das Dikkapal Puja
"The shastras name ten guardians who rule the ten directions. They are led by Indra and called the Das Dikkapal. Each one watches over a side of the world. Indra guards the east and Yama the south. Varuna guards the west and Kubera the north. The others hold the corners, the sky, and the earth below. Together they keep the whole space around us safe. This puja honours all ten guardians in one worship. It seeks their blessing for protection on every side. With them pleased, no harm can enter from any direction. The seeker then moves forward without a block."
Dussehra Puja
"Dussehra, also called Vijayadashami, is the day of victory. The word means "the tenth day of triumph." Tradition holds that on this day, after nine days of fierce battle, the Mother Goddess finally slew the demon Mahishasura and restored peace to the three worlds. The same day also marks Lord Ram's victory over Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. Across India, effigies of Ravana are burnt to mark this triumph of dharma over adharma. On this day the Mother is worshipped in her fiercest form. Mahakali, the one before whom no evil stands. Whatever the form, the meaning is the same. On Dussehra, evil falls. Good rises."
Gandmool Dosh Shanti Puja
"This puja is performed for newborn children born with one of two related afflictions. Mool Dosh and Gandant Dosh. Both come from where the Moon was placed at the moment of birth. Mool Dosh is identified when a child is born under one of the six Gandmool Nakshatras. Ashwini, Ashlesha, Magha, Jyeshtha, Mool, or Revati. Gandant Dosh is identified when a child is born at the precise junction between a water sign and a fire sign in the Moon's position. Cancer to Leo. Scorpio to Sagittarius. Pisces to Aries. These are the knots of the cosmos."
Ayushya Hawan
"Ayushya Hawan is a fire worship for long life. Its deity is Rishi Markandeya, the boy who conquered death. The shastras tell how Yama came to take his life. The boy held the Shivling and Shiva saved him from death. He was then blessed to stay forever young. This hawan calls on his grace for health and long years. The sacred fire carries the prayer for a full life. It guards the body and lifts the fear of early death. Families perform it on birthdays and other special days. It is a blessing for old and young alike."
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Gau (Cow) Puja
"The cow is the most sacred animal in Hindu tradition. She is called Gau Mata, the mother cow. Tradition holds that all the gods reside within her body. Lord Brahma in her face. Lord Shiva in her forehead. Lord Vishnu in her shoulders. The Ganga, the Yamuna, and the Saraswati in her hooves. To touch a cow with devotion is to touch every deity at once. To offer her food and worship her is to honour the source of life itself, since the cow gives milk to humans and feeds the soil for every crop."
Lord Narasimha Puja
"The story of Narasimha is one of the most loved in Hindu scripture. The demon king Hiranyakashipu had earned a boon. No one could kill him. Not by man or beast. Not by day or night. Not indoors or outdoors. Not by any weapon. He tormented his own son Prahlada, a devoted bhakta of Vishnu. When he struck a pillar at twilight, Vishnu burst forth as Narasimha. Neither man nor beast. At the threshold between day and night. And he tore the demon apart."
Durga Puja
"Maa Durga rides a lion. She holds eighteen weapons in her many arms. Each weapon is a gift from a different god. Her gaze is the gaze of a mother who will let nothing harm her children. The demon Mahishasura had a boon. No man, no god could kill him. He defeated even Indra. The gods released their combined energies. From that fire, Maa Durga emerged. After nine days of battle, on the tenth day, she slew Mahishasura. That day is Vijayadashami."
Tara Devi Puja and Yajna
"Tara Devi is the second of the ten Mahavidyas. Her name means "she who carries across." She is the goddess who carries the soul across the ocean of suffering. Across fear. Across confusion. Across the dark phases of life. She appears with a fierce form, but her energy is deeply maternal. She destroys what threatens her devotees, while holding them close. In some traditions, Tara is also worshipped as a form of Kali Mata. Wherever she is invoked, lost souls find their way home."
Shrapit Dosh Nivaran Puja
"Shrapit Dosh is one of the most demanding karmic afflictions in Vedic astrology. It forms when Rahu and Shani occupy the same house, or sit in mutual aspect. Their combined energy is so heavy that ancient sages described it as the weight of an unresolved curse from a previous lifetime. The word shrapit literally means "the cursed one." But this is not punishment. A curse is simply unfinished karma, an action whose consequences travel across lifetimes seeking resolution. The soul does not remember. But the chart does."
Katyayani Devi Puja
"Katyayani Mata is the sixth of the nine forms of Maa Durga. She was born to the sage Katyayana, after years of his penance, with the combined energy of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. She emerged to slay the demon Mahishasura. But her warrior origins are not why most devotees come to her. For centuries, she has been known as the granter of soulmates. The unmarried gopis of Vrindavan once prayed to her for Lord Krishna himself as their husband. She answered them."
Saraswati Pujan
"Saraswati Mata is the goddess of all learning. She sits on a white lotus, dressed in pure white. She holds the veena. A book and a rosary rest at her side. Three great goddesses share the work of the universe. Lakshmi gives wealth. Durga gives strength. Saraswati gives the rarest gift of all. The light of true knowledge."
