🪔 Types of Pooja (पूजा के प्रकार)
1. Nitya Pooja (नित्य पूजा)
Daily worship at home or temple.
Simple offerings like water, flowers, incense, diya, and chanting.
2. Panchopachara / Shodashopachara Pooja (पंचोपचार / षोडशोपचार पूजा)
Panchopachara = 5 offerings (Gandha, Pushpa, Dhoop, Deep, Naivedya).
Shodashopachara = 16 offerings (includes Avahana, Asana, Padya, Arghya, Achamana, Snana, Vastra, Yajnopavita, Gandha, Pushpa, Dhoop, Deep, Naivedya, Tambool, Aarti, Pradakshina).
3. Graha Pooja (ग्रह पूजा)
Worship of Navagrahas (9 planets).
Done to remove doshas (astrological imbalances).
4. Parivarik / Griha Pooja (गृह पूजा)
For home peace and prosperity (e.g., Griha Pravesh Pooja, Vastu Shanti).
5. Sankalpa Pooja (संकल्प पूजा)
Pooja done with a specific intention (health, wealth, exams, marriage, etc.).
6. Vrata Pooja (व्रत पूजा)
Performed along with fasting, like Satyanarayan Pooja, Karva Chauth, Ekadashi Pooja.
7. Yajna / Havan (यज्ञ / हवन)
Fire ritual with mantras, offerings of ghee, grains, herbs.
Types: Graha Shanti Havan, Rudra Yajna, Ganapati Havan, Navagraha Havan.
8. Deity-Specific Pooja (विशिष्ट देव पूजा)
Ganesh Pooja – before starting anything auspicious.
Lakshmi Pooja – for wealth and prosperity.
Saraswati Pooja – for knowledge and wisdom.
Durga Pooja – for protection and power.
Shiva Pooja (Rudrabhishek) – for peace and moksha.
Hanuman Pooja – for strength, protection, and courage.
Satyanarayan Pooja – for family prosperity.
9. Sanskar Poojas (संस्कार पूजा)
Performed at life stages (birth, marriage, death).
e.g., Namkaran, Upanayan, Vivah, Shraddha.
📿 Types of Mantra Vidhi (मंत्र विधि)
1. Japa Vidhi (जप विधि)
Chanting mantras using a mala (108 beads).
Can be Sankhya Japa (fixed count) or Akhand Japa (continuous).
2. Stotra / Kavach Path (स्तोत्र / कवच पाठ)
Recitation of protective hymns (Hanuman Chalisa, Vishnu Sahasranama, Durga Kavach).
3. Beeja Mantra Sadhana (बीज मंत्र साधना)
Repetition of seed mantras like “Om”, “Hreem”, “Shreem”, “Kleem”.
4. Anusthan Vidhi (अनुष्ठान विधि)
Intensive mantra chanting for fixed days (e.g., 11,000 or 1,25,000 times).
Requires strict rules of purity, diet, discipline.
5. Havan with Mantras (हवन मंत्र विधि)
Chanting mantras while offering ahuti (ghee, grains) into fire.
6. Tantrik Mantra Vidhi (तांत्रिक मंत्र विधि)
Specialized rituals for protection, energy activation, or spiritual powers.
7. Purascharana (पुरश्चरण)
Complete cycle of mantra chanting, homa, tarpan, marjan, and feeding Brahmins.
