Simple (Short) Do-It-Yourself Griha Pravesha Pooja

Simple (Short) Do-It-Yourself Griha Pravesha Pooja

Required Items

1. Chandan powder/paste
2. Flowers (1 bunch)
3. Agarbatti
4. Kapoor
5. Jaggery
6. Plate for keeping rice
7. 10 lbs rice (colored with turmeric or kumkum and a few drops of water)
8. Corn (separate seeds and stalks)
9. Dhoop
10. Deep (Niranjan)
11. Sweet dish (Kheer/Halwa)
12. Kumkum
13. 2 Red blouse pieces (2 ft x 2 ft)
14. 2 White blouse pieces (2 ft x 2 ft)
15. Kalash or large lota
16. Mango or betel leaves
17. New vessel
18. Milk
19. Ganapati idol or preferred deity
20. Real cow, cow idol, or picture (optional)
21. Spoons (metal preferred)
22. Plates
23. Turmeric powder
24. Ghee or oil for lamp
25. 2 puja coconuts plus one for every door
26. Cow dung and cow urine
27. Curd
28. Red sewing thread
29. 4 lemons for every door
30. Aluminum foil roll

Outside the House

1. Perform Ganesh Puja outside the house using a plate and rice.
2. Prepare the Kalash:
   • Place a plate of rice on the left side of the entrance.
   • Place the kalash on the rice.
   • Fill the kalash 4/5 with water.
   • Add rice, corn seeds, and wheat.
   • Add some grass.
   • Add 5 coins.
   • Wrap red or yellow thread around the neck of the kalash.
   • Place 5 mango or betel leaves in lotus form.
   • Wrap a coconut with red cloth and place it on the kalash.
   • Perform Vardhini Kalasha Puja.
3. Draw a swastika on the door.
4. Wash the door sill with Panchamrita and then water.
5. Draw another swastika on the door sill.
6. Write auspicious symbols as per tradition.
7. Offer curd to a column outside the house while chanting:
   • Om Bhut Balim Samarprayami
   • Om Pret Balim Samarprayami
   • Om Vastu Balim Samarprayami
   • Om Pishach Balim Samarprayami
   • Om Rog Balim Samarprayami
   • Om Mrityu Balim Samarprayami
8. Take 3 lemons and rotate them around the door three times clockwise and three times anticlockwise. Place them aside for later disposal.
9. Break another coconut (optional).
10. Repeat door rituals for each external door.
11. Chant the 12 names of Ganesha.
12. Break a coconut outside the house.
13. The man of the house carries the Ganesha idol (and cow idol/picture).
14. The lady of the house carries the kalash on her head.
15. Enter the house with the right foot first while chanting Ganesha names.

Inside the House

1. Lay the red cloth in the southeast corner of the house.
2. Spread rice on the cloth in a pile.
3. Place Ganesh idol (and cow idol) on the rice.
4. Place the kalash securely on the rice pile.
5. Perform Ganesh Puja.
6. Worship the kalash.
7. Perform Ganesh Aarti.
8. Perform Aarti in all corners and on all levels of the house.
9. Place cut lemons in each corner or break coconuts according to family custom.
10. The lady of the house worships the kitchen.
11. Apply tilak to the water tap.
12. Apply tilak to the stove.
13. Draw swastikas on the water tap and stove.
14. Boil milk in a new vessel until it overflows.
15. Tie red thread around pillars inside and outside the house.
16. Place a white sheet outside and make handprints using kumkum.
17. Optionally wrap red thread around the house three times.
18. Mix cow dung, cow urine, milk, ghee, and curd and sprinkle throughout the house.
19. Perform Lakshmi-Narayan Puja or chant Vishnu Sahasranama.
20. Spend the night in the new house after Griha Pravesha.

Notes

1. Vastu Puja is recommended before or after Griha Pravesha.
2. Sri Vaishnavas may use:
   • Om Vishvaksenaya Namah
   • Om Namo Narayanaya
   instead of Om Ganeshaya Namah.
3. Place aluminum foil under lamps and agarbatti holders to protect floors and carpets.