Kuber Puja

Significance and when it is done

Kuber Puja (कुबेर पूजा), also called Kuber Pujan (कुबेरपूजनम्), is a devotional puja belonging to the category of devotional pujas, paths and homas. It is offered to Kuber, the guardian of wealth, together with Lakshmi. The purpose is straightforward: to seek the presence of wealth and, just as importantly, its safekeeping.

Families most often plan this puja on Dhanteras, the day traditionally associated with Kuber and with the buying or honouring of valuables. It may also be kept on other days chosen by the family in consultation with a qualified jyotishi, since the suitable muhurat is a personal matter and is shown separately on this page from data. There is no havan in this puja as listed here; it is a seated, mantra-based observance.

Because the theme is both gain and protection, the puja is often done where the family keeps its accounts, its safe, or its business ledgers. Nothing about the ritual promises a particular financial result. It is an act of devotion and gratitude, and the outcome is left to the divine will.

Who performs it and who should attend

A pandit performs the puja, usually at the family's home or place of business. The household's elders typically sit closest to the altar; children may attend and are often given a small role such as offering flowers. There is no bar on who may be present, though many families keep the atmosphere quiet and free of distraction.

Kuber Puja can also be done online. In that arrangement, many pandits perform it by video call while a family member does the physical steps at home — lighting the diya, offering the items, and completing the sequence the pandit guides. This works well for families in the diaspora, and it is the option most often chosen when the pandit and the family are in different cities or countries.

Vidhi step by step (outline)

Traditions differ, and a pandit will adapt the sequence to the family's sampradaya. What follows is a general outline, not a fixed script.

• Purification and sankalpa. The family and the space are readied; the pandit states the intention of the puja.
• Ganesh and Kalash sthapana. Ganesh is invoked first, and the kalash is set up with Ganga jal.
• Invocation of Kuber and Lakshmi. The deities are invited to the seat prepared for them, often with a Kuber yantra placed nearby.
• Offering of the samagri. Roli, haldi and akshat are offered, followed by flowers and garland.
• Mantra japa. The pandit recites the relevant mantras while the family listens or repeats quietly.
• Naivedya and aarti. Fruits and sweets are offered, camphor and incense are lit, and the aarti is sung.
• Placing of coins and account books. Where the family keeps coins or ledgers, these are placed before the deity for blessing.

Typical duration is about one hour, depending on the tradition and how much is included.

Preparing the samagri and the space

Samagri is best gathered the day before. The full list for this puja:

• 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
• Kuber yantra
• Coins
• Account books

Choose a clean, level surface facing east or north where the family can sit comfortably. Bathe and wear clean clothes before the puja begins. Keep the area free of clutter, and switch phones to silent. If the puja is online, place the device so the pandit can see the altar and the family, and keep the samagri within arm's reach of whoever is doing the physical steps.

Regional variations

Practice varies across regions and communities. In some North Indian households the puja is closely tied to Dhanteras and to the family's ledgers; in parts of South India the emphasis and the order of offerings may differ, and the mantras recited may belong to a different sampradaya. Smarta and Vaishnava families may follow slightly different sequences, and the choice between amanta and purnimanta reckoning affects how the day is fixed. None of these is more correct than another. Families usually follow the tradition of their elders or the pandit they have engaged.

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

The prasad — fruits and sweets offered as naivedya — is shared among those present and, where possible, given to a few others as well. Daan is a personal matter; many families give according to their means, and the pandit's dakshina is settled separately. Typical dakshina is £51–101 in the UK, $75–151 in the USA and ₹1,100–2,100 in India, excluding samagri and travel; each pandit sets their own fee.

Afterwards, keep the coins and account books in their usual place, and treat the yantra and the kalash with respect. It is customary to avoid arguments and wasteful spending on the day itself, and to keep the altar clean. This puja is not a substitute for professional financial or legal advice, and nothing here should be read as a promise of any particular outcome. For questions about your own chart, muhurat or which puja suits your situation, consult a qualified jyotishi.