Pooja Samagri List
पूजा सामग्री सूची
Everything you need for a puja at home, in English and Hindi: the 40 common samagri items with what each is for and what to use if you can't find it, and tick-off checklists for 11 pujas you can copy straight to WhatsApp for the family or the samagri shop.
Checklists by puja
Tick items as you collect them; your ticks stay on this phone.
Daily puja at home दैनिक पूजा
Griha Pravesh गृह प्रवेश
Common puja samagri in Hindi and English
Basics for every puja
| Item | हिंदी | What it's for | If you can't find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diya (earthen or brass lamp) | दीया | Light is offered first in every puja; the flame stands for knowledge driving out darkness | Any clean metal lamp |
| Ghee or til (sesame) oil | घी / तिल का तेल | Fuel for the diya; ghee for most deities, til oil for Hanuman and Shani | Mustard oil for outdoor lamps |
| Cotton wicks | रुई की बत्ती | Round wicks (gol batti) for diyas, long wicks (lambi batti) for aarti | — |
| Agarbatti and dhoop | अगरबत्ती / धूप | Fragrance offered to the deity; purifies the space | — |
| Camphor | कपूर | Lit for aarti; burns without residue, a symbol of the ego dissolving | Ghee lamp for aarti |
| Kumkum (roli) | कुमकुम / रोली | Red powder for tilak on the deity, the kalash and the worshippers | — |
| Haldi (turmeric) | हल्दी | Auspicious yellow; used in tilak, on the kalash and in Ganesh and Lakshmi puja | — |
| Chandan (sandalwood paste) | चंदन | Cooling paste offered to Shiva, Vishnu and Krishna | — |
| Akshat (unbroken rice) | अक्षत | Whole rice with kumkum, offered for completeness; must not be broken | Whole wheat grains |
| Fresh flowers and garland | फूल / माला | Marigold for most deities; red hibiscus for Ganesha and Durga, lotus for Lakshmi, white for Shiva | — |
| Kalash (copper or brass pot) | कलश | Filled with water, mango leaves and a coconut; invokes all the gods into the puja | Any clean metal lota |
| Mango leaves | आम के पत्ते | Five or seven placed in the mouth of the kalash; tied as a toran at the door | Ashoka or betel leaves |
| Coconut (with husk) | नारियल | Placed on the kalash or broken as an offering; a symbol of surrender | — |
| Mauli / kalawa (red sacred thread) | मौली / कलावा | Tied on the kalash, the coconut and the worshippers’ wrists | — |
| Gangajal | गंगाजल | Purifies the puja place, the samagri and the worshippers | Clean water with a tulsi leaf |
| Supari and paan leaves | सुपारी / पान | Supari is worshipped as Ganesha when no idol is present; paan is offered with it | — |
| Prasad (fruit, mishri, sweets) | प्रसाद | Naivedya offered to the deity and shared afterwards | Mishri and a banana are enough |
| Bell (ghanti) and conch (shankh) | घंटी / शंख | Rung and blown at the start and during aarti to call the deity and clear negativity | — |
| Aarti thali | आरती की थाली | Plate to hold the diya, camphor, kumkum and flowers for aarti | — |
| Asan (mat) and chowki with cloth | आसन / चौकी / वस्त्र | A clean mat to sit on; a low stool covered in red or yellow cloth for the deity | — |
For particular deities and pujas
| Item | हिंदी | What it's for | If you can't find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durva grass | दूर्वा | Ganesha’s favourite; offered in bunches of 3 or 21 blades | — |
| Bel patra | बेलपत्र | Three-leaved bel offered to Shiva, smooth side facing up; never torn | Bel leaves keep for several days |
| Dhatura and aak flowers | धतूरा / आक | Offered only to Shiva | — |
| Tulsi leaves | तुलसी | Placed on every offering to Vishnu and Krishna; never offered to Ganesha | Pick a day earlier; never on Sunday or Ekadashi by tradition |
| Sindoor (orange vermilion) | सिंदूर | Offered to Hanuman and Ganesha mixed with jasmine or til oil | — |
| Janeu (sacred thread) | जनेऊ | Offered to Ganesha, Shiva and Vishnu in formal puja | — |
| Panchamrit | पंचामृत | Milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar; for abhishek and as prasad | — |
| Lotus flowers | कमल | Lakshmi’s flower, especially on Diwali and Fridays | Pink or red roses |
| Kheel-batashe | खील-बताशे | Puffed rice and sugar drops, the classic Diwali prasad for Lakshmi | — |
| Silver coin | चांदी का सिक्का | Placed before Lakshmi on Dhanteras and Diwali | Any coin, washed |
| Barley (jau) and clean soil | जौ / मिट्टी | Sown under the Navratri kalash (Ghatasthapana) | — |
| Red chunri and shringar items | चुनरी / श्रृंगार | Offered to Durga and to the goddess on Karva Chauth and Navratri | — |
| Havan kund, samidha and havan samagri | हवन कुंड / समिधा / हवन सामग्री | Fire pit, mango wood sticks and the herb mixture offered into the fire | Ready-made havan samagri packets |
| Black til (sesame) | काले तिल | For Shani, for Amavasya and for tarpan to ancestors | — |
| Kusha grass | कुश | For tarpan and sankalp; a ring of kusha (pavitri) is worn during rituals | — |
| Gur and chana | गुड़-चना | Simple prasad for Hanuman | — |
| Thekua and the bamboo soop | ठेकुआ / सूप | The prasad and basket of Chhath Puja | — |
| Karva (spouted clay pot) and sieve | करवा / छलनी | For the Karva Chauth moon arghya | — |
| Ganga mitti / clay for idols | मिट्टी | For eco-friendly Ganesh and Gauri idols that dissolve at home | — |
| Rangoli colours | रंगोली के रंग | Drawn at the door to welcome the deity, especially Lakshmi | Rice flour and turmeric |
A few things we've learnt about samagri
Buy a day or two early. Before big festivals like Diwali and Navratri, flowers, lotus and good ghee sell out and prices jump. Durva grass, bel patra and tulsi are easiest to find in the morning.
Pure ghee really does matter for the diya. It burns cleaner and longer than oil blends, which is kinder to elders with breathing trouble. For a lamp meant to burn all night, use a deep diya and a thick wick.
Keep a small puja box ready. Kumkum, haldi, akshat, a few wicks, camphor, agarbatti and a matchbox mean you're never scrambling when someone wants to do a quick puja.
Devotion over completeness. If an item is missing, offer a little akshat or a flower in its place with a prayer: "whatever is lacking, please accept in its place." Every tradition allows this.
Puja samagri: common questions
What are the basic items for a puja at home?
A diya with ghee and a cotton wick, agarbatti or dhoop, fresh flowers, kumkum, haldi and chandan, akshat (unbroken rice), water in a lota or kalash, and a simple prasad such as mishri or fruit. With these, any daily puja can be done.
What is puja samagri called in Hindi?
पूजा सामग्री (pooja samagri). Common items in Hindi: दीया (diya), घी (ghee), रोली/कुमकुम (kumkum), हल्दी (haldi), चंदन (chandan), अक्षत (akshat), कलश (kalash), नारियल (coconut), मौली (sacred thread), दूर्वा (durva), बेलपत्र (bel patra), तुलसी (tulsi), कपूर (camphor), गंगाजल (Ganga water) and प्रसाद (prasad).
What should not be offered in puja?
Traditionally: tulsi is never offered to Ganesha; ketaki flowers and haldi are not offered to Shiva; broken rice is never used as akshat; and flowers should not be smelled before offering. Wilted flowers and leftover food are not offered.
What do I do with old puja flowers and samagri?
Bury used flowers and leaves in a garden pot or add them to compost. Clay idols can be dissolved at home in a bucket of water, and the water given to plants. Please avoid throwing samagri in rivers and ponds.
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