Griha Pravesh is a Hindu ritual where a puja ceremony is conducted on an auspicious muhurat (time) when a person moves into a new house for the first time to purify the environment and protect the house from negative energies.
Usually, the auspicious date & time to enter the new home is decided by the priest based on the astrological charts and local Panchang. Furthermore, there many dos and don’ts or guidelines to be followed for the Griha pravesh pooja Vidhi to ensure positive energy around and bring prosperity for the family.
The Griha Pravesh rituals help purify and spiritualise the house, its surroundings and the air, creating a holy and divine atmosphere. It brings prosperity, fortune, and good health to those living in the house.
Things to do before a Pooja
Choose the auspicious date;
Always do the griha pravesh on an auspicious day. Days that are most favourable for such muhurats are Vasant Panchami, Akshaya Tritiya, Gudi Padwa/Ugadi , Navratri, Dussehra/Vijayadashami, Dhan Teras, Deepawali etc., while days like Holi, Grahan(eclipse) Adhikmas and Shraddha Paksha are to be avoided. You can decide a good date by consulting your local priest.
Get the pooja list from the priest and start procuring the items
After the date is fixed, the Pujari gives a list of items needed for the pooja. Please call your local Indian shops to source the fresh items like Banana Leaves, Beetle & Mango leaves. If you have sufficient time, you can order flowers, flower strings online also like https://jasmines.com.au
Once you collect all pooja items please bag them in a pooja box so you won’t miss anything. Please don’t forget to add ladder or chair to reach out to smoke detector, scissors, glasses, plates/trays, paper towels, hand wash, knife, blue tag, bin & liners, washing brushes, some basic cooking utensils, spoons, tea or coffee powder, sugar, mugs, milk, snacks if you have kids at home, water bottles, portable gas stove with butane refill if your main stove is under construction, some mats to sit, [avoid plastic mats as they will be slippery on flooring board and tiles], aluminium foil, glad wrap,
Complete the construction
The Griha pravesh pooja should be conducted only after the construction work is over. This is one of the foremost things to remember when moving into a new home and performing the Griha Pravesh ceremony. Avoid moving into your new home if the construction work is ongoing. Entering the under construction site without permission is an illegal act. The site may have hazardous construction materials and may hurt people, friends and relatives who come to wish you. Normally Yajman family spends and sleeps the night on the pooja day. In that case you may need a working toilet, heater, aircon, kitchen, etc. with electricity and gas connection. If you want to still do pooja before finishing please inform your priest & guests so that they get prepared for that by getting extra layers of clothes etc.
Things to do on previous day of the Pooja
Clean the entire home
Once you have taken the keys from the builder/agent please visit the site & inspect everything is working properly like cooler, heater, water, gas etc.
Before conducting the Griha Pravesh pooja, make sure the entire home is cleaned thoroughly to make it look welcoming. This will invite positivity and good energy into your new home.
Mop every corner of your home before starting the pooja.
Arrange the pooja samagri in order, take out the wraps and plastic covers and put them in trays, bowls etc.
Decorate the house entrance
The main door should be decorated, as it is called as Simha Dwara and is the face of the Vastu Purush. On the day of Griha Pravesh pooja, make sure you decorate the front entrance with flowers and toran of made out of fresh mango leaves & flowers.
Decorate the entrance with beautiful colour rangoli/kolam/muggu design. Make sure it is not in the way of people entering the house. You can put bottu with haldi and kunkum, writing ‘Swastik’ symbol on the main door signify prosperity and luck. You can also wright ‘Shubh Laabh’.
Illuminate the Home
Ensure that the entire house and especially the main entrance is well illuminated on the day of the griha pravesh. No area of the house should be in darkness. Lighting an earthen lamp is believed to invite good fortune and positive energy. Lighting candle is not our tradition.
On the Pooja day
Please wear traditional clothes, also encourage your kids to wear. Entering the new home with new clothes brings positive energy.
Enter the new house with the right foot
On the auspicious day of Griha Pravesh, the husband and wife of the house must enter the house together, carrying the mangal Kalash, cow statue, Lakshmi & Ganesh statue, Kuldevata Photo, Navadhanya etc. Make sure to put the right foot forward when walking into your new home during the Griha Pravesh ceremony.
Gau (Cow) Pooja
In some traditions, people need bring a cow statue into the new house during the ceremony, as the cow animal is considered as a sacred animal in Hinduism. It believed that cow bring the positive radiations into new home.
Milk boiling Ceremony
Boiling milk in a new utensil is an integral part of the Griha Pravesh rituals which ensures prosperity in the house. The lady of the house should boil milk in the kitchen. Usually, ingredients such as rice and sugar are added to prepare a sweet rice prasad, and it is offered to the deities.
Plan meals for the guests on the day of griha pravesh
To treat your invited guests on the day of griha pravesh, plan the menu for the food to be served, in advance. Since the puja is done on an auspicious day, it is better to arrange for vegetarian ‘satvik’ food.
After the Pooja
How to dispose of griha Pravesh puja offerings after the ceremony?
Earlier people threw flowers and leaves used for pooja in the sea or river/lake but due to rising water pollution, one must not do like that. Instead use them to make organic compost at home. The Havan ashes can easily dissolve in your garden bed, the different grains used in the pooja can be offered to birds at your garden. Fruits and coconuts can be used at home as Prasad or distribute among your guests.
FAQs
How to set up the Gods in a new home after Griha Pravesh ritual?
It’s the right time to decide which Gods you are going to worship most at new place. Sometimes we keep on worshipping the same God in 2 or 3 statues, like 3 Ganesha, 2 Sai Baba statue. Now you can decide which one you want to continue and the extra Gods which you are having can be packed and kept in the Gods Mantap safely. Always try to worship Gods which are made of precious metals like gold, silver, brace, stone etc, avoid the Gods made up of plastic, plaster, mud, aluminium, etc. Damaged photo/statue is not suitable for worship. If you are confused, its better to discuss with the priest during the ceremony.
What gifts can be given to invited guests?
It is advisable to give Tamboolam which contains 2 beetle leaves, beetle nuts, a coin, 2 fruits, flower, blouse piece, a piece of coconut, sweets etc to gathered guests. People often offer some silver coins, or small lamp etc. Please avoid gifting God’s statues, plastic bowls, steel utensils etc.
Can we do Griha Pravesh puja after shifting?
Griha Pravesh puja or Vastu puja should be done before shifting, to cleanse the space of negative energies. Having said that, in some circumstances people move-in first and then do the pooja.
Are we supposed to sleep in the new house after Griha Pravesh ceremony?
Yes, homeowners supposed to sleep in the new house at least for the pooja night.
Can we move our furniture before Griha Pravesh?
Ideally, a Vastu pooja should be conducted, before moving anything to your new home. But if you want to order any new furniture, fridge, tv etc, its allowed to take the delivery in the new home. If any used items/ furniture to be shifted, then you can do so to the garage area and once the pooja done, you can take them inside.
Do I need to clean my house before moving?
Yes, it is always good to deep clean the house, before you move in with all your luggage.
Why is Navagraha Shanti puja done during the Griha Pravesh?
Navagraha means nine planets. It is believed that all nine planets influence the house. So this puja is performed to please all the nine planets and seek blessings.
Why we break Ash Gourd before entering the new home?
White pumpkin has the tamasic energy and during the pooja the main Yajaman will break Ash Gourd at the entrance which represents the animal sacrifice. The negative energy present in the surrounding is absorbed into it and once they are satisfied with this sacrifice, they won’t disturb the people who are starting to reside there.
