Perform Satyanarayan Puja - Lord Vishnu

Satyanarayan Pooja is a ritual performed by Hindus before or on any major occasion in the family like marriage, house warming ceremony, etc.The Satyanarayan Pooja is usually done on the Poornima day of every month (the day of the full moon). It is also done on special occasions and during times of achievements as an offering of gratitude to the Lord.

The podia starts by a prayer to Lord Ganesha, the elephant God and remover of all obstacles that may occur as a result of incorrectly performing the pooja. This is done by chanting all the names of Lord Ganesha and offering prasad. Another part of the prayer involves a prayer to the Navagrahas - the nine important celestial beings in the universe. Then the Satyanarayan Pooja is performed . This podia in the evening is considered more appropriate. On the day of the pooja, the devotee has to fast. Vrata begins with the lighting of the lamp, a symbolic gesture of lighting the lamp of devotion in ones heart. In a sacred pooja room, a new cloth has to be spread on an elevated platform. Rice about a Kg is to be spread on the cloth and in the centre a kalash capped with a new cloth piece should be placed and on that a small idol of the Lord has to be positioned. A Panchamruta (a mixture of ghee, milk, sugar, honey and curds) abhishekam has to be performed. The pooja runs in ashtottara or satanaama attributes and culminates with haarathi and taamboolam. At the end of the vrata there is udvaasana, a formal way of concluding the pooja.

Another requirement of the pooja is that the story of the pooja be heard among all those observing and partaking in the pooja. The story involves the origin of the pooja, the benefits of it, and the potential mishaps that may occur with the careless performance of the pooja. The prayer concludes with an Aarti, which consists of revolving a small fire-lit-lamp in the vicinity of an image of the Lord. After the pooja is over, participants and observers of the pooja are required to injest in the prasad that was offered and blessed by the Lord.