Satyanarayana Pooja – Benefits, Katha and Procedure of Puja

Satyanarayana Pooja is one of the most popular rituals performed to appease Lord Vishnu and receive his blessings. The word “Satya” means Truth and “Narayana” means The Highest Being. Together they mean “The highest being who is the embodiment of truth”.

It is believed that the Satyanarayana Pooja was performed by Kings, Merchants, Traders, and Businessmen to appease Lord Vishnu and to increase their financial stability. Though the Pooja is performed by Hindus all over India, it is especially popular in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Tamilnadu, and Karnataka.

Who should perform Satyanarayana Pooja?

• A person beginning a new venture in life like a business or a family should perform the Satyanarayana Pooja to receive Lord Vishnu’s blessings. As a result, the Pooja is extremely popular during marriages, Gruha-Pravesh and at the beginning of higher studies.
• Satyanarayana Pooja is also performed when someone in the family is in ill-health.

Satyanarayana Pooja Benefits

Here are the benefits of performing Satyanarayana Pooja:

• It is believed that by performing the ritual, one achieves peace and prosperity in his or her life. The devotee is blessed with general happiness and family bliss.
• The Satyanarayana Pooja also clears negativity surrounding oneself and grants optimism and a positive approach towards life in general.
• The Pooja is also believed to bless the devotee with good health.

When should I perform Satyanarayana Pooja?

Best days for performing Satyanarayana Pooja are:

The day of Chitra Pournami (in the month of April) is considered to be highly auspicious for performing the Satyanarayana Pooja. It is believed that Satyanarayana Pooja can be performed at any time on a full moon day. However, the Pooja must not be performed by the devotee on a New Moon.

The Satyanarayana Pooja is performed on important occasions like weddings, Graha-Pravesh (Housewarming) and birthdays.

Satyanarayana Pooja Procedure

Here is how to do Satyanarayana Pooja:

• The rituals of Satyanarayana Pooja are elaborate but easy. The duration of the Pooja can be between two to three hours. Usually, Pooja is performed in the evening. It is customary for the deity to observe the Satyanarayana Vrata on the day of the Pooja.
• The first few rituals are common for all rituals dedicated to God. The Pooja begins with Acamanah (self-purification), Pranayama (to increase the spirituality inside the body), and Sankalp (take a vow to complete the ritual).
• The Ganapathi Pooja or Homam is conducted first to appease Lord Ganapathi without whose blessings, nothing is accomplished.
• The next few steps involve includes Deepa Sthapana (Lighting of the lamps), Bhumi Prarthana (pay respect to Mother Earth), Kalasa Sthapana, Kalasa Pooja, Varuna Pooja, and the Aatmashuddhi.
• Several Poojas are performed like the Navagraha Pooja, Tulsi Pooja, Panchamritha Pooja, Dvarapalaka Pooja, Digpalika Pooja, Panchamritha Abhishekam, the recital of several Suktas and Shlokas and Lakshmi Pooja.
• The Satyanarayan Katha or stories are read out to all the participating devotees. Five chapters depicting the miracles and graces of Lord Satyanarayan are read out to all to stress the importance of the occasion.
• The Ashtottara Pooja (recital of 108 names of Lord Vishnu), Naivedyam, Tambulam, Dakshina, Aarti, Pradakshina, Namaskara, Aatma Samarpana and lastly Samarpanam mark the end of the rituals.

Materials required for Satyanarayana Pooja

The basic materials required for the Satyanarayana Pooja are the photo or the idol of the deity, two brass lamps, Karpoor, Kumkum, Chandan, and Haldi. Flowers, copper or silver Kalasa, conch, tulsi leaves, and garland, betel leaves and nuts, Banana and Banana leaves, Coconuts, and Mango leaves are also required for the setting up of the Pooja.

For the Pooja Ahuthi purpose, Panchamrutham including Milk, Curd, Honey, Yoghurt, and Sugar are required. The Prasad should also be prepared. It should either be a Rava or Sooji Halwa or a Semolina Payasam or Kheer.

Where to perform Satyanarayana Pooja?

The Satyanarayana Swamy Temple located at Annavaram, Andhra Pradesh is one of the most popular temples where this elaborate ritual is performed in detail and with utmost reverence.  Besides the famous temple, the Pooja can also be performed at other world-famous temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu like Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple, and the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam.

Other than temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Satyanarayan Pooja can also be performed at other sites like the Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, Meenakshi Amman Temple, Mangaladevi Temple, and Kateel Durga Parameshwari Temple.

Cost of performing Satyanarayana Pooja

The cost of performing the elaborate ritual can range from ₹3,000 to ₹5,000.

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