Murti Puja

Murti Puja is the Hindu practice of offering worship to a consecrated image (murti) of a deity.

Overview

Murti puja is the devotional worship of a murti through a sequence of offerings including water, flowers, incense, light, and food. It is the central practice of temple worship and home shrine devotion in Hindu traditions.

Method/Content

The worshipper approaches the murti with reverence and performs a sequence of offerings. These typically include arghya (water offering), pushpa (flowers), dhoop (incense), deep (lamp), and naivedya (food offering). Each offering is accompanied by mantras and prayers. The worship concludes with pradakshina (circumambulation) and aarti (waving of the lamp). The specific sequence and mantras vary across traditions.

Purpose/Benefits

Murti puja cultivates devotion (bhakti) and provides a tangible focus for spiritual practice. It is believed to purify the mind, invoke divine blessings, and create a sacred atmosphere. The practice is said to develop qualities of reverence, gratitude, and surrender.

Verification Notes

• Central to Hindu worship practice across all traditions
• Discussed extensively in the Puranas and Agamas
• The murti is treated as a living presence, not merely a symbol