• Home
    • Objectives
  • Priests
    • NSW
    • ACT
    • QLD
    • VIC
    • WA
  • Services
    • Pujas & Yajñas
    • Engagement Ceremony
    • Samskaras — Sacraments
    • Funerals
    • Subsidised Weddings
    • Dakshina — Honorarium
  • Hinduism
  • Resources
    • Gallery
    • Books and Publications
    • F.A.Q’s
    • Resources for Priests
    • Links >
      • Organisations & people
      • Temples
  • Upcoming Festivals and Events
  • Contact
    • Your Feedback
  • Current Affairs
  • PANCHANG
  • Auspicious dates
  • Member Only
    • EC Members Only
  Australian Council Of Hindu Clergy Inc.

Pujas & Yajnas

Puja — ceremonial worship which consists of the making of offerings consisting of flowers, fruit, incense, cooked food. etc.

Yajña —a ceremony which involves  the making of oblations of ghee, havan samagri, sticks,  etc. into a consecrated fire. (same as homa or  havan).

1. Punyaha Vachana  — a purification ceremony done after a death or birth or any other occasion in which personal or environmental pollution has occurred.

Place —   home.
Time —  morning
Duration — 1 hours
Minimum Dakshina — $ 151

2. General Puja — a formal making of offerings to one’s chosen deity to either invoke blessings, show appreciation or simply “connect” with the divine. In this ceremony there is no havan (i.e. no fire offerings.)

Place —   home,  shrine etc.
Time —  morning
Duration — 1 hours
Minimum Dakshina — $ 151

3. Satya Narayana Puja — An all-inclusive puja in which offerings are made to all the deities in order to invoke their blessings and goodwill. The principle deities are Vishnu & Lakshmi and the purpose of the ceremony is thanksgiving. The participants are required to fast from sunrise and to have the ceremony performed in the evening.

Please note this ceremony is not usually done with a havan! If you do want a havan performed then discuss it with your individual priest.

Place —   home,  shrine etc.
Time —  sunset
Duration — 2 hours
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 350

4. Lakshmi-narayana  yajña — This is a fire  ceremony to invoke the blessings and grace of the Supreme Being appearing in the joint form of Lakshmi and Narayana.

Narayana is the protective aspect of the Godhead and Lakshmi is the manifestation of Divine Compassion. Narayana creates and preserves the cosmos and mother Lakshmi as the goddess of compassion requires us to use all resources for the benefit of all beings living on this planet.

So these yajnas are performed for the benefit of all beings and to create harmony and balance in the world and environment.

Place —   home,  shrine etc.
Time —  morning
Duration — 1.5 - 2  hours
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 300

5. Vastu Shanti / Griha Pravesha— Entering a new home.
A Vedic ceremony done in order to regulate any imbalance of energy in the home or office space.  All enclosed spaces create an energy field which is further conditioned by the auras of the people who use the space  and the interpersonal dynamics that occur. The purpose of this ceremony is to transmute the negative into a positive  beneficial force and to remove all obstructive elements.

Place — office, home, factory, shrine etc.
Time —  day or night
Duration —  2.5 to 3.5 hours
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 500-600

6. Ganesha  Homa  — A  fire Ritual for the removal of all obstacles and for achieving astrological harmony and empowerment. Ganesha is the principle of Wisdom. Through this ceremony the dormant principle of wisdom – the enlightened mind is activated. This is also a very potent method of dealing with problems in one’s birth chart  either due to natal influences or transits through negative periods (Dashas). The ritual empowers one to deal effective and constructively with one’s Karma.

Place —   home,  shrine etc.
Time —  daytime 
Duration — 1.5- 2 hours
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 301

7. Navagraha Shanti — A  ritual for invoking  the blessings of the Nine Planetary deities.
The Nine Planetary deities (Grahas) are the agents through which we experience the positive and negative results of our Karma. This  ceremony which can be done with or without the medium of fire, is done to make offerings to them and to invoke their blessings in order to maximise our potential to utilise both negative and positive Karma as vehicles for enlightenment. This is an empowerment ceremony — it does not “remove” bad Karma. 

Place —   home,  shrine etc.
Time —  daytime 
Duration — 2 hours
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 301

8. Sudarshana Homa -- A fire ritual which is done to achieve protection — either spiritual or for some physical purpose. Sudarshana is the personification of the Discus held by Lord Vishnu. It is representative of the all-pervading Cosmic Mind. Sudarshana is one of the "wrathful” deities and is invoked along with Narasimha for protecting the spiritual aspirant from all negative forces that may be at work disturbing their lives and their practice.  The ritual can also be seen as a type of exorcism which removes elementals and  other troublesome astral entities as well as counteracting curses and  spells.

Place —   home,  shrine, factory, office etc.
Time —  day or night
Duration — 1.5 hours
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 300

9. Hayagriva Puja — Hayagriva is the Hindu/Buddhist deity of knowledge and skillful  means. This is a ceremony in which offerings are made to Hayagriva  in order to invoke his blessings and to maximise the learning potential and the ability to actualise spiritual practice. This can also be done with fire offerings if required.

Place —   home,  shrine etc.
Time —  anytime 
Duration — 1 hour
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 151

10. Durga Puja — Durga or Kali is the cosmic mother, the Great Goddess. This is a ritual of making offerings in order to show our appreciation of the Divine and to harmonise with her all pervading energy. This can also be done with the recitation of appropriate stotras and or the recitation of Chandi Paath  — please discuss with your priest.

Place —   home,  shrine etc.
Time —  anytime 
Duration — 1 and a half  hour
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 251

11. Shiva Puja /Rudra-abhishekam — A puja ceremony to express gratitude to Lord Shiva and to invoke his blessings. This can also be done along with Rudra Mahimna Stotra  and or Rudra japa.

Place —   home,  shrine etc.
Time —  morning, pradosh and purnima days
Duration — 2 hours
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 350

12. Mrityunjaya Homa — A fire-ceremony ceremony to invoke the grace of Lord Shiva and to bless an individual with health and longevity. Can be done on birth days or anniversaries or whenever one desires.

Place —   home
Time —  morning
Duration — 1.5  hour
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 301

13. Ayushya Homa — A fire-ceremony ceremony to invoke the grace of the gods and to bless an individual with long life. Can be done on birth days or anniversaries or whenever one desires.

Place —   home
Time —  morning
Duration — 1 hour
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 301

14. Lakshmi Pūjā/Homa  — This ceremony is intended to invoke the blessings and grace of Mother Lakshmi for the achievement of prosperity, domestic happiness and general wellbeing. It can be done either as a puja or as a homa — or both combined.

Place —   home,  shrine etc.
Time —  daytime 
Duration — 1.5 hours
Minimum Dakshina  — $ 301
                                                            
Shraddha Ceremonies

There are many variations of Shraddha and various degrees of complexity ranging from  simply offering   raw foodstuffs and dakshina to a Brahmin (hiranya shraddha), the performance of tarpana — offering of water libations or even the inviting of two or three Brahmins for a formal Shraddha meal.

The complete shraddha may take up to 3 or 4 hours.
Recommended dakshina is $350- $400 for the purohit and $200 each for the diners (bhoktas).
Picture
Re: DAKSHINA — please note here we mention the minimum recommended dakshina. Depending upon distance to travel and time you may be required to pay mileage and tolls as well.  If you have any issues please discuss them with your individual priest.

For a list of the groceries and other requirements needed for the ceremony please contact your priest.