Puja
Hindu worship with offerings, the frame in which many household blessings, protections and cleansings take place.
Also: pooja, worship
Puja is the act of honouring a deity or sacred object with offerings: flowers, a lit lamp, incense, water, food. It is done daily at a home shrine and on larger occasions in temples, usually with a priest. Many Hindus also hold special pujas when a house is entered, a vehicle is bought, a child is born or an illness or misfortune is feared. In those settings the rite is said to bring protection or good fortune. A graha shanti puja, for instance, is held to calm the influence of the planets. Puja is worship first and not a spell, and scholars note that in practice the two are hard to separate. Customs differ by region, sect and household.