What is Puja (Hinduism)?
[[File:Babasteve-ganges_water.jpg|thumb|{{center|Individual puja}}]] '''Pūjā''' ([[Devanagari]]: पूजा) is a [[Service of worship|prayer service]] [[ritual]] done by [[Hindu]]s. The word puja comes from [[Sanskrit]], and means [[wikt:reverence|reverence]], [[honor]] and [[worship]]. A puja honours one or more [[deity|deities]]. It also [[spiritual]]ly [[wikt:celebrate|celebrates]] an event.<ref>James Lochtefeld, ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism'', Volume 2 (New York, N.Y.: Rosen Pub. Group, 2002), pp. 529–530, {{ISBN|0-8239-2287-1}}</ref> It is sometimes spelled [[phonetic]]ally as ''pooja'' or ''poojah''. A Puja is the most common form of worship in the Hindu religion.<ref>Axel Michaels, ''Hinduism: Past and Present'' (Princeton; Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2004), p. 241</ref> It may honour or celebrate the presence of special guests or they're [[Memory|memories]] after they die. Puja rituals are also held by [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], [[Jainism|Jains]] and [[Sikhs]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/puja/index.html |title=Puja, 14 Definition(s) |author= |date= |website= They also live this |publisher=wisdomlib.org |accessdate=2 July 2015}}</ref> == References == {{commons category|Puja}} {{reflist}} {{religion-stub}} [[Category:Hinduism]]