Festivals
Ayudha Puja 2023: Date, Rituals, Traditions and Significance
Ayudha Puja is integral to the Navratri festival (festival of triumph). It is also known as Astra Puja. In simple terms, it means “Worship of Implements”.
Ayudha Puja is celebrated on the 9th day of the Navratri festival. This Puja is performed to worship the Almighty present in the tools used in our daily and professional life.
Ayudha Pooja is performed in offices and factories, where owners and workers worship their most used tools, which are the main assets for their industry. The Puja ceremony is performed by keeping all tools on the altar, invoking the Lord, and chanting sacred mantras. The complete ceremony is performed as per proper shastras and Vidhan as prescribed in the Vedas.
SmartPuja provides customers with end to end Hassle-Free Puja services. For Ayudha Puja, we’ll send an experienced Pandit / Purohit from our team based on your language preference. You can easily book online pandit with SmartPuja for different Puja services in Bangalore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai.
Puja is performed with proper Vedic rituals. We’ll also send all Puja items and Puja materials for the rituals and will assist you with photography, catering, florist, e-puja, and astrology services. From your side, you need to keep the Prasad items (sweets, fruits, Panchmarit) with flowers and white pumpkins. You’ll also bring the Lord’s idol and may keep extra flowers for decoration.
What Is Ayudha Puja?
Ayudha Puja, also known as the Astra Puja, is the worship of weapons. It is observed on the ninth day of the Navaratri festival. Then the weapons are retrieved for future use on the 10th day, i.e., Vijaya Dashami.
Though this Puja is a pan-Indian religious phenomenon, people closely associated with using weapons like royal families, security and defence personnel, martial art schools, and Kalaripayattu observe this ritual flawlessly.
Different Names Of Ayudha Puja Across Nation
- Tamil Nadu – Astra Puja or Vijayadashmi, celebrated on the 10th day of Navratri.
- Bengal – “Siddhidatri Puja” or “Durga Ashtami”, celebrated on the 8th day of Navratri.
- North India – “Shastra Puja” or “Vijayadashami”, celebrated on the 10th day of Navratri.
- Gujarat – “Shami Puja” or “Vijayadashami”, celebrated on Navratri’s tenth day.
- Maharastra -“Shastra Puja” or “Vijayadashami”, celebrated on Navratri’s tenth day.
Ayudha Puja Rituals
- Clean the entire home or office meticulously. All the equipment and tools utilised in their work are also cleansed. Use a water wash to clean both personal and professional vehicles.
- Images and statues of deities, utensils, and vehicles are covered in horizontal streaks of sandal paste, and crimson vermillion tilaks are applied on top of the paste.
- Figures of the goddesses Saraswati and Lakshmi should be dressed in red and white sarees, respectively, if you have any at home.
- Plantain stems, leaves, and floral garlands are used to decorate the cars. String the mango leaf torans at the front door of the house.
- Fresh flowers have also been used to decorate the deities inside the Puja chamber.
- Set out the writing equipment, books, and laptops in front of the gods and goddesses.
- Combine the Ayudha Puja’s Prasad, puffed rice with jaggery and fried peanuts. In addition, people gift the Gods other things like fruits, white pumpkins, flowers, and treats like delicious dumplings.
- It is traditional to utilise the tools once after the Puja because it is thought that the Gods have blessed them with success. Take the Arati to a group of automobiles that have been dashed open on the ground and have camphor poured on lemon, coconut, and pumpkin. After that, a brief trip is given in the vehicles.
- The tools are not to be utilised for the remainder of the day and are left in the puja area.
Traditions of Ayudha Puja
Tools and weapons like pins, pens, knives, daggers, spanners, bows, and arrows are cleaned and worshipped. Even businessmen clean their shops and factories and worship their vehicles, machines, metal items, agricultural equipment, or other tools, which are the backbone of their industry.
Devotees keep their weapons before the Goddess, decorated with flowers and other offerings. The Goddess is therefore believed to bless the tools and make them more efficient for future uses.
It is a gesture of showing respect and gratitude towards the instruments that have helped in our livelihood.
This is also done to embark on the victory over the evil, Durga killing Ashura and Rama killing Ravana. Mythological stories also depict that on this day of Vijayadashami, Pandavas had retrieved their weapons hidden in a Shami tree after thirteen years of exile.
In Mysore, the king of the palace arranges for a grand procession up to Bannimatapa, where they pay respect to a Shami tree. In south India, Saraswati puja is observed with Ayudha puja, so students and academicians clean their books and study materials and offer them in front of the deities for blessings.
Ayudha Puja Dates From 2023-2025
Ayudha Puja in 2023 will be observed on the 23rd of October.
- Ayudha Puja Tithi starts : 19:55 – 22 October 2023
- Ayudha Puja Tithi Ends : 17:45 – 23 October 2023
In 2024, the Astra puja will be observed on the 12th of October.
- Ayudha Puja Tithi starts : 12:05 – 11 October 2024
- Ayudha Puja Tithi Ends : 10:55 – 12 October 2024
In 2025, it will be observed on the 1st of October.
- Ayudha Puja Tithi starts : 18:05 – 30 October 2025
- Ayudha Puja Tithi Ends : 19:00 – 01 November 2025
Significance of Ayudha Puja
Worshipping of instruments and weapons provides a sense of fulfillment. All the weapons and pieces of machinery are cleaned, and tilak with a mixture of sandalwood and turmeric paste is applied to each piece.
Often, this machinery is also decorated with flowers. Vermillion is also applied. It is believed that any equipment you use, whether for industrial or agricultural usage or even academic items, is worshipped and paid respect to before using them. It is also believed that you will never succeed if you don’t approach a particular thing without reverence and admiration.
You will feel involved with the instruments. When you develop the involvement with the weapon, you have better control over it. With this Puja, you become more reverent towards your body and mind.
The Puja is considered a significant custom that emphasises explicit attention to one’s profession and related tools and equipment. You will feel that a divine force is connected, enabling the object to perform better.
Historical Reference of Ayudha Puja
The Ayudha Puja has immense historical significance. In Karnataka, especially in Mysore, the celebrations on Ayudh Puja honour the slaying of the demon king Mahishasura by Goddess Chamundeshwari, who is considered a personification of Parvati Devi.
It is also believed that after the historical battle of Kurukshetra, the victorious Pandavas returned on the day of Vijayadashami. Hence the Puja is observed to mark their glorious victory and return. With this essence, it is believed that this day of Puja is auspicious to begin any new venture.
Book Online Pandits For Ayudha Puja
SmartPuja has a team of Qualified, Knowledgeable, and Experienced Pandits who perform Pujas as per your community, language, and region specifications. We take care of the entire process, from booking to assigning the right Pandit, with the best Muhurat, Puja Items, Puja Samagri, Flowers, etc. All you need to do is to book the service, sit back and relax while we work on ensuring that you get a satisfying and divine Puja experience.
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FAQs Related To Ayudha Puja
The essential ingredients of Ayudha Puja are Devi Saraswati idol, white Vastra or cloth, mango leaves, Kumkum, turmeric, raw rice, flowers, and raw rice. Get in touch with a reliable company that offers all kinds of puja services like SmartPuja. They will associate a pandit who will arrange for all the essential ingredients.
Chakkara Pongal, payasam, suyam and vada are mostly eaten on Ayudha puja. A very special food called the sundal is prepared. It is made with chickpeas tossed in mustard oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and crunchy urad daal.
In Ayudha puja, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped. The deity is placed on a wooden plank decorated with flowers, tilaks, and garlands. Along with Devi, Laxmi and Durga are also worshipped.
Ayudha Puja in 2023 will be celebrated on 23rd October, 2023. For more muhurat-related details and timings, please connect with the experts at SmartPuja.
There is no specific dress code for Ayudha puja. Some people prefer to wear traditional attire including dhoti, kurta-pyjama, or sarees, whereas others just prefer a new set of clothes. Some people also follow the Navratri colour code for the Ayudha Puja.
Choosing an auspicious time and location is very subjective, as it may vary depending on the stars and other variable factors. Thereby, it is always advised to seek the guidance of an expert pandit for more accurate details.
Ayudha Puja typically lasts for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the rituals and customs followed by devotees.
Ayudha Puja worships Goddess Durga for divine energy and strength. Tools are blessed as an extension of the hand. The puja celebrates victory over Mahishasura and promotes gratitude towards livelihood tools.
Ayudha Puja is linked to the Mahabharata epic as well. The third of the five Pandavas, Arjuna, secreted battle equipment under a tree before being sent into exile for 13 years. He grabbed his weapons from under the tree and made war on the Kauravas after 13 years. Arjuna won the battle of Kurukshetra, and Vijayadashami marked the occasion of the Pandavas’ return to their home.
We rest the tools in front of gods and goddesses so that they can be blessed and bring prosperity to our house.
