Description
Satyanarayan puja is done in reverence to Lord Satyanarayan – a form of Lord Mahavishnu. In this form, the lord is considered to become the embodiment of truth. The puja is a ritual performed to make sure that abundance, prosperity, general happiness as well as wellbeing prevails in the family. The most vital offering to the lord during this puja is the apada nivedya, which is basically a sweet treat made of sugar, wheat rava, kadali banana, cow’s milk and ghee.
The belief of Satyanarayan puja started several thousand years ago. In the earlier times of Kalyug, a poor Brahmin boy having faith on God despite poverty was wandering in search of food. It was then that the Lord Satyanarayan appeared before the poor boy, in disguise of an aged person, and the story began. This is believed to be the Satyanarayan katha, which is read out to devotees as a part of the ritual. The belief is still strong and worshipped.
The Satyanarayan puja is generally done before major occasions of life, such as housewarming or marriage ceremony. The ritual can be done at any time of the day. Usually, this puja is done on the eve of Purnima, or the full mood day of every month. It can also be done on Ekadasi or the 11th day after the new moon or full moon, Vaisakha Purnima, Kartika Purnima, Sankranti, or on the day of solar eclipse. However, people perform the Satyanarayan puja even on other times of the year, without emphasizing on these specific days.
The ritual is mainly performed on various special occasions and at the time of achievements. It is one way of offering your gratitude to the Lord on occasions like graduation or a new job.
This puja is to best performed in the evening. It can bring good results. However, there’s no harm in doing this ritual in the morning. On the proposed day of the puja, devotees have to fast until the puja is completed. The purpose of depriving oneself from food is to ensure that no negative thoughts or desires come to mind before, during or after the puja. Once the puja is over, devotees can seek blessings of Lord Satyanarayan and break their fast by taking prasadam.
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