Puja Catalogue

Fifteen Lakshmi rituals, from the lamplit worship of Diwali night to the South Indian vrat of Varalakshmi. This guide sets out where the tradition's oldest Lakshmi hymn actually sits, how the forms differ, and what the catalogue's wealth language does and does not mean.

Abhishekam is the ritual bathing of a murti or linga; the upachara methods define how a deity is served in the first place. Together these fourteen entries are the underlying grammar behind most of the deity-specific rituals elsewhere in this catalogue.

Two related practices sit alongside formal puja: Jaap, the repeated recitation of a mantra on a mala, and Paath, the reading of a scriptural text. This guide covers ten jaap and twelve paath observances — what distinguishes them, and what the tradition says about how they are done.

Shraddha and the wider family of Pitru Karma honour those who have died and keep a family's bond with them. These are among the most sensitive rites a household will observe, and this guide sets them out plainly, with the care they deserve.

Ten Hanuman rituals, from the daily recitation of the Chalisa to the annual celebration of Hanuman Jayanti. This guide sets out where the texts come from, why Tuesday and Saturday, and what the sindoor offering actually involves.