Provided below is a very simple Kartik Month D.I.Y. puja proper. One will say hmm, this is very easy and will it work, aren’t I supposed to be engaging the services of a priest, etc. The whole idea about creating DIPIKA is to make my fellow humans self sufficient, and only be dependent on is the Supreme Lord Himself. Whether one performs an elaborate prayer or a simple prayer all that really matters is the faith that one contributes to that prayer. Another point to note is that many who seek my help and advice, are generally financially distraught, hence I am making everything simple and very cost effective.

On the chosen day in the month of Kartik the observer of puja must first bathe and wear fresh clean colored clothes, thereafter proceed to your prayer place. Have all the requirements for the Puja and the havan arranged beforehand on a tray.

Table of Contents

Kartik DIY Puja Proper

On your tray you should have the following: 1 large tray (to place all your puja items on that tray), 1 large rectangular tray, 1 banana leaf the size of your rectangular tray, 1 small Ganesh murti/picture, a laminated picture of Lord Damodara (the picture is provided at the end of this article), a small bowl of sweet rice (use the same bowl for the havan), a small lota/chumbu/cup add water with a small spoon, 5 incense sticks, one incense holder, 2 blocks of camphor, 1 box matches, a small clay lamp which should be placed on a saucer, 10 betel leaves, 10 round betel nuts, 200g white rice, small bowl of flower petals, 1 small hand towel, make one Kusha ring with kusha grass, 50g chandan powder (on a saucer and add water to make a paste). On a saucer keep a small clay lamp add, some ghee and a wick).

*** Do note: If you are performing your puja on Ekadashi, kindly replace the sweet rice with cut fruit, such as sliced bananas.

Place tray on the floor, and then place the banana leaf on top of the rectangular tray – (this is your bedi), place on the banana leaf the Lord Ganesh Murti. Place the clay lamp which is on a saucer (and which has the ghee and wick) next to Lord Ganesh, and on the lamp’s right hand side place Lord Damodar’s picture. Now sit facing East or North. Pour a little water into your hand from your small lota and sip it three times chanting “Om Vishnu” (Wash your hands after each Om Vishnu chant). Now wipe your hands. Anoint your third eye (the place between your eyebrows) with a chandan dot, place your kusha ring on your ring finger of your right hand.

Next take 1 betel leaf, on top of that betel leaf add some red flower petals and some rice and say in English “O Supreme Lord on this day (state the English day, English month (like January) and place (like Durban) where you performing this prayer, I (state your name and surname) am performing my Kartik Prayers. (Do note if you prefer having the correct Vedic names for the above then you have to consult and ask your pundit). Leave the betel leaf, flower petals and rice on the banana leaf by Lord Ganesh.

Ganesh Puja

Take 1 betel leaf, on top of that betel leaf place 1 betel nut, few grains of rice and few flower petals and pray to Shree Ganeshji chanting his mantra. “Om ganapati devata aavaahayaamee sthaapayamee, Om ganapataye namah” And then place the betel leaf (and its ingredients) on the banana in front of Lord Ganesh’s murti/picture. Do note the tip of the betel leaf should be facing you. Now offer Lord Ganesha 4 drops of water, chandan dot, sprinkle rice and then flower petals, offer

one stick of incense (turn the incense around the murti/picture 7 times in a clockwise direction, and place in the incense holder, next offer the clay lamp on a saucer (which has a small piece of camphor in it, light it) and turn the lamp around the murti/picture 7 times in a clockwise direction, offer a spoon of sweet rice on the betel leaf and then place a betel leaf with a betel nut next to Lord Ganesh’s betel leaf and then finally offer the clay lamp (7 times around the murti) to end.

Navagraha Puja

Then take another betel leaf, on top of that betel leaf place 1 betel nut, few grains of rice and few flower petals and pray to 9 Planets chanting their mantra… “Om Aim Hreem Kleem Navagraha devata namah aavaahayaamee sthaapayamee, Om Navagraha devataye namah”, And then place the betel leaf (and its ingredients) on the banana leaf next to Lord Ganesh. Do note the tip of the betel leaf should be facing you.

Now offer the Navagraha’s 4 drops of water, chandan dot, sprinkle rice and then flower petals, offer one stick of incense (turn the incense around the lamp 7 times in a clockwise direction, and place in the incense holder, next offer the clay lamp on a saucer (which has a small piece of camphor in it, light it) and turn the lamp around the Navagraha’s Betel leaf 7 times in a clockwise direction, offer a spoon of sweet rice on the betel leaf and then place a betel leaf with a betelnut next to the Navagraha’s’s betel leaf and then finally offer the clay lamp (7 times around the murti) to end.

Light the wick of the clay lamp which is on a saucer (and which has the ghee and wick). Once lit pray to Mother Lakshmi for Her blessings for your puja.

Radha Damodara Puja

Then take another betel leaf, on top of that betel leaf place 1 betel nut, few grains of rice and few flower petals and pray to Shree Radha Damodara chanting Their mantra… “Om RadhaDamodara aavaahayaamee sthaapayamee, Om RadhaDamodara namah”, And then place the betel leaf (and its ingredients) on the banana leaf in front of Shree RadhaDamodara’s picture. Do note the tip of the betel leaf should be facing you.

Now offer Shree RadhaDamodara 4 drops of water, chandan dot, sprinkle rice and then flower petals, offer one stick of incense (turn the incense around the murti/picture 7 times in a clockwise direction, and place in the incense holder, next offer the clay lamp on a saucer (which has a small piece of camphor in it, light it) and turn the lamp around the murti/picture 7 times in a clockwise direction, offer a spoon of sweet rice on the betel leaf and then place a betel leaf with a betel nut next to Shree Radha Damodara’s betel leaf and then finally offer the clay lamp (7 times around the murti) to end.

The havan proper now commences.

Kartik DIY Havan

Please first refer to the “Kartik D.I.Y Puja Proper” first then proceed with the havan procedure below.

Havan Requirements

On your tray you should have the following:

One packet havan wood;
100g Navadhan (9 grains),
100g wheat (Hindi-Gehu//Tamil-Godhumai),
100g ***{Guggal} (a brownish resin),
100g ***{Gur/Jaggery},
100g of Lobhan (Samarani),
100g Til;
100g Barley (Jau) grains,
a medium size bowl for the havan samaghree ingredients,
100g ghee in a small bowl with a Table spoon,
3 pieces of Sandalwood sticks.

The Havan kund should be place on a metal rectangular tray. Place 4 equal length Kusha (Kush grass/Darbha grass) on the outside of the four sides of the kund, add about 3 hands-full of clean sand in the havan kund (this is done so that the ghee wouldn’t leak from the Kund), place the wood neatly in the kund. On top of the wood sprinkle some red sindhur powder.

Now in your samaghree bowl add the remaining white rice (that you have from the puja), the Navadhan, wheat, Til, 1 Tsp of sweet rice, Guggal, Gur, barley, Lobhan, 2 Tsp’s of ghee… Mix the ingredients well. This is your Havan samaghree, I would advise to refrain from adding the ready made (store-bought) havan samaghree as these days that samaghree is just powder and mass produced.

Place a camphor tablet on a table spoon and (light and) kindle the camphor tablet and place in the havan kund while you chant “Om Bhoor Bhuvah Swaahaa”, repeat twice more times i.e. two more camphor tablets. When the fire is nicely alight, put your two palms together and pray to Agni deva inviting Agni deva to enter into the kund and kindly accept the grains that you will be offering shortly, chanting “Om Agnidevata aavaahayaamee sthaapayamee, Om Agnideva namah”.

Now offer one stick of incense (turn the incense around the fire 7 times in a clockwise direction, and place in the fire, next offer the clay lamp on a saucer (which has a small piece of camphor in it, light it) and turn the lamp around the fire 7 times in a clockwise direction, offer a spoon of sweet rice on the betel leaf into the fire, offer some flower petals into the fire and then finally offer the clay lamp (7 times around the fire) to end.

Next sprinkle, water around the havan kund 3 times in a clockwise direction. Take 3 pieces of Sandalwood sticks, dip the three sticks in the ghee, and then offer one stick into the fire while chanting “Om Bhoor swaahaa”, the second stick with the mantra “Om bhuvah swaahaa” and the third and final stick with the mantra “Om svah swaahaa”

Place the havan samaghree bowl in front of you. Do remember that at every swaahaa offer samaghree and/or ghee. Now you can commence with the Havan proper…

Chant:

Om ganapataye swaahaa x 1
Om agnaye swaahaa x 1
Om somaya swaahaa x 1
Om prajapataye swaahaa x 1
Om indraya swaahaa x 1
Om bhuh swaahaa x 1
Om bhoovah swaahaa x 1
Om svah swaahaa x 1
Om bhoor bhuvah svah swaahaa x 1
Om Hraam Hreem Hraum Saha Sooryaaya swaahaa x 1
Om Shraam Shreem Shraum Saha Chandraaya swaahaa x 1
Om Kraam Kreem Kraum Saha Bhaumaaya swaahaa x 1
Om Braam Breem Braum Saha Budhaaya swaahaa x 1
Om Graam Greem Graum Saha Guruve swaahaa x 1
Om Draam Dreem Draum Saha Shukraaya swaahaa x 1
Om Praam Preem Praum Saha Shanaishcharaaya swaahaa x 1
Om Bhraam Bhreem Bhraum Saha Raahave swaahaa x 1
Om Shraam Shreem Shraum Saha Ketve swaahaa x 1
Om aim hreem kleem chaamundaayai vichchai swaahaa x 1
Om trayam bakkam yajaamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam urvaarookamiva bandhanaam mrityor mooksheeya maamritaat swaahaa x 11
Om Hanumate swaahaa x 1
Om Shreem Mahaalakshmiyai swaahaa X 1
Om Vishnave swaahaa X 1
Om Shree RadhaDamodaraya swaahaa X 3 or 11 or 108 times

Sprinkle water around the havan kund three times. Offer samaghree 21 times with the Maha Mantra “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” to allay for any mistakes committed during the havan.

Lastly the final offerings (Purna-Ahuti):Place the remaining betel leaves on a tray and on that betel leaves place the balance of the samaghree on top of the leaves, on top of this place the rest of the betel nuts, some ghee and chant the following mantra “Om sarvam vai poornam swaahaa” And place this in the middle of the fire. Offer the rest of the ghee into the fire.

Shanti Paath Mantras

Put your two palms together in the Namaste position and chant.

Om Dyauh Shanti
Rantariksha Gwam Shanti
Prithvi Shanti Rapah Shanti
Roshadhayah Shanti
Vanas Patayah Shanti
Vishva Devah Shanti
Brahma Shanti Sarva Gwam Shanti
Shanti Reva Shanti Sama Shanti Redhi
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om

Now take the 4 kusha grass around the Kund and your kusha grass ring and mix with the final remains of the ghee in the ghee bowl and offer into the fire. Once this is complete, kindly request Lord Ganesha, the Nine Planets, Shree Radha Damodara and the rest of the Devi’s and Devas to forgive you for any shortcoming committed while you performed the puja and havan and then request them to kindly return to their divine abodes, and chant the Maha Mantra (above) once to end. Bow down to the bedi and havan kund.

After the Havan

The puja items used in the puja above, put that into the havan kund and make sure everything is fully burnt. I have an environmental friendly outlook on life and this is what I advise you should do. When the Havan contents is totally burned out and cooled down, divide the contents into 4 parts. Place a quarter of the burnt contents on a red cloth (20 cm by 20 cm). Bring together the four corners and it then becomes like a pouch (potli) tie the middle with a rubber band or thin red cloth. Mark it with a swastika sign with a marker like the picture depicts in the next page. Make 4 of such potli’s and then bury (dig a hole in the ground of about 20cm deep) them in the 4 corners of your yard. When this happens Mother Earth gets rejuvenated and blesses the yard and family. Isn’t this method much more sensible than disposing the contents into the sea/ocean, dam or river. This is www.dipika.org.za take on protecting Mother Earth from further abuse.

Kartik DIY Puja Proper and Havan