Ayudha Puja (Shastra Puja)

Significance and when it is done

Ayudha Puja (आयुध पूजा), also called Shastra Puja (शस्त्र पूजा), is the worship of tools, vehicles and weapons. It belongs to the category of festival pujas and is offered to Durga and Vishwakarma. In practice, families honour the implements and machines by which they earn a living — the things that carry them through the year.

The puja is observed on Navami or Dussehra, within the Navaratri period. The exact day and muhurat are shown on this page from data, and traditions differ on whether the ninth day or the tenth is preferred. Where families follow different reckonings, both are treated as valid.

Who performs it and who should attend

A qualified pandit performs the vidhi. The family sits with the pandit; there is no bar on who may attend. Because the puja is in person only — it is not offered online — those who wish to take part should be present at the home, shop or workplace where the tools and vehicles are kept.

In many households the eldest member leads the family's participation while the pandit recites the mantras. Children are usually included, since part of the point is to show them that the work of the house is held with respect.

Vidhi step by step (outline)

The following is an outline only; the pandit will follow the practice of their own tradition and region.

• Purification and sankalp: the space, the family and the articles are cleansed, and the intention of the puja is stated.
• Ganesh and kalash sthapana: Ganesh is invoked first, and the kalash is established.
• Invocation of Durga and Vishwakarma: the deities of the occasion are invoked with flowers, akshat and water.
• Shodashopachara: the sixteen offerings — among them roli, haldi, akshat, flowers, incense, diya and naivedya — are made in order.
• Worship of the tools: each implement, machine or vehicle is cleaned, marked with kumkum, and offered flowers and akshat.
• Aarti and pranam: the puja closes with aarti and a formal bow.

Havan: No. Ayudha Puja as listed here does not include a havan. Typical duration: about 45 minutes, depending on the tradition and how much is included.

Preparing the samagri and the space

Samagri is arranged before the pandit arrives. The full list for this puja is:

• Roli (kumkum)
• Haldi
• Akshat (unbroken rice)
• Moli (sacred thread)
• Supari
• Paan leaves
• Coconut
• Ghee
• Diya and cotton wicks
• Camphor
• Incense sticks
• Flowers and garland
• Fruits
• Sweets for naivedya
• Ganga jal
• Kalash
• Tools cleaned and marked with kumkum
• Banana stems
• Flowers

Before the puja, clean the tools, vehicles or machinery and set them together in one place. Banana stems are commonly used to arrange and support the articles. Keep the area uncluttered so the pandit can move around it, and keep a clean cloth or mat for the offerings.

Regional variations

Practice varies. In some regions the emphasis falls on the weapons and the Durga aspect; in others the day belongs more to Vishwakarma and to the tools of a trade. In South Indian households the puja of vehicles and implements is often prominent; in North Indian homes the same occasion may be observed with a different sequence and a different set of offerings. Families following amanta and purnimanta reckonings may name the tithi differently. None of this is a defect — it is how a living tradition behaves. Follow the pandit you have engaged, and follow the custom of your own family where it is clear.

After the puja: prasad, daan, dos and don'ts

After the aarti, the naivedya becomes prasad and is shared among those present. Daan, where the family practises it, is given according to capacity and family custom; the pandit's dakshina is separate from samagri and travel.

• Do keep the tools and vehicles clean and marked with kumkum after the puja.
• Do treat the samagri list as a checklist and confirm it with your pandit beforehand.
• Do ask the pandit which day — Navami or Dussehra — suits your family's tradition.
• Don't expect the puja to produce a particular outcome in health, money, marriage or legal matters. It is an act of worship and gratitude, not a transaction.
• Don't treat any single fee or muhurat as universal; both are shown on this page from data, and each pandit sets their own fee.

For questions about your own chart — which day, which deity, which remedy — consult a qualified jyotishi. That is a separate matter from the puja itself.