Puja Niyam: Things To Keep In Mind During Evening Puja

The time of evening prayer is considered highly auspicious as it is believed that during this time, all creatures return to their homes.

Things To Keep In Mind During Evening Puja

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In Hinduism, the ritual of worship holds special importance. In the eternal religion, it is a norm to perform prayers three times a day, namely morning, afternoon, and evening. The time of evening prayer is considered highly auspicious as it is believed that during this time, all creatures return to their homes.

According to the Puranas, Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati also wander on Earth during the evening. Therefore, performing evening worship is recommended to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati. There are specific rules associated with evening worship that should be followed.

Mistakes to Avoid in Evening Worship:

• Avoid Plucking Flowers: While offering flowers during morning prayers is considered auspicious, it is advised not to pluck flowers for evening worship. According to scriptures, plucking flowers during the evening is considered inauspicious, so it's better to refrain from offering flowers to the deity during the evening prayer.

• Avoid Ringing Bell and Conch Shell: Unlike the morning prayer where ringing the bell and blowing the conch shell is considered propitious, it is advised not to do so during the evening worship. It is believed that after sunset, deities retire, and the sound of the bell or conch disturbs their rest.

• No Evening Sun Worship: In the scriptures, there is a prescribed method of worshiping the sun god in the morning, but it is strictly forbidden to worship the sun after sunset. It is considered inauspicious. Additionally, using tulsi (holy basil) in the evening worship is also discouraged.

• Maintain Privacy for Deities' Rest: To ensure that there is no disturbance during the deities' resting period, a curtain should be drawn over the prayer area after the evening worship, and it should only be opened the next morning. Performing evening worship before sunset is recommended.

• Use Two Lamps in Evening Worship: During evening worship, it is customary to light two lamps, one with ghee (clarified butter) and the other with oil.

Observing these guidelines during evening worship is considered essential for a spiritually and ritualistically fruitful practice.