On April 18th, I attended the Satyanarayan Puja at Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir which is usually done on the Purnima day of every month (the day of the full moon). I arrived at 6pm to speak to Pandit Jadonath before the puja began. When I arrived a devotee of the mandir told me that Pandit Jadonath was showering. She told me that you can only conduct a puja after showering. When Pandit Jadonath came up into the prayer hall, I sat with him for a little before the puja began to ask him a few questions as to why this event was taking place. He told me that the Satyanarayan Puja is a tradition that is centuries old and is done because it is believed that during the full moon your mind is more receptive and that the moon influences your mind. He said that it has been scientifically proven that your mind is more at rest during the period of the full moon and you are able to observe spiritual things, as well as material things, much more. He said the observance of spiritual things is much more important because spiritual knowledge stays with you forever.
Pandit Jadonath said that the puja is funded by the mandir and many mandirs observe Satyanarayan Puja. He said that this puja is conducted to ensure abundance in one’s life. He said the puja lasts for about an hour and is usually brief when the full moon falls during midweek, but could be much longer if it falls on the weekend. He said the reason for this is to accommodate the audience. During the week, many people come to the mandir after work and have to get up early the next day, so out of consideration for the devotees, the puja is shortened. He told me that the puja will start off with chanting prayers to the various deities. The last one that will be prayed to is Lord Narayan who is a form of Lord Vishnu and is considered an embodiment of truth. The official puja will be done for Lord Narayan. He told me there would also be singing of bhajans, which are Hindu hymns. The puja will conclude with arati which consists of revolving a fire-lit lamp around the deities. After the puja, everyone will be invited to the basement of the mandir to participate in a feast provided by the members of the mandir.
I asked Pandit Jadonath if events like the Satyanarayan Puja are celebrated in India and he said yes, they are very common there. He said the big cities in India are more likely to follow the same constraints we do here in America (i.e. shortening the length of the puja to accommodate to attendees). He said that it is much more likely in the villages for the pujas to be longer and more elaborate. He also said it is very important for temples to accommodate to suit the location and the population. I asked Pandit Jadonath is observers usually fast for Satyanarayan Puja, and he said some people do fast, but most people don’t fast since it is a small puja. He said people definitely fast for bigger holidays.
At 6:30pm, the Satyanarayan Puja began. I took a seat in the back and observed. Just as Pandit Jadonath said, they started the puja with prayers to the various deities. There was a lot of chanting of the deity’s name and asking for the deity to bless the mandir and its devotees. Then the puja for Lord Narayan began. A devotee sat in front of the altar and offered a variety of things to a fire such as milk, ghee, flowers, etc., while Pandit Jadonath recited prayers. Next, they began to sing bhajans and prayed while bending down on the floor. Finally, arati was done in which two young men took plates with a lit fire on them and circled the statues of the deities. Then they went to Pandit Jadonath and did the same. Finally, they came into the crowd and help the plate in front of people while they circled their hand around the fire and brought their hands to their face. The puja then concluded and Pandit Jadonath invited everyone to go downstairs into the basement for dinner. I couldn’t stay, so I waited until everyone left and went to say goodbye to Pandit Jadonath and thanked him for all his help.