Vishnu Puja: Thursdays and Ekadashi

In brief

Vishnu is the preserver, worshipped in many forms, among them Narayana, Rama, Krishna, Venkateshwara and Jagannath. His puja is gentle and simple, and tulsi (= holy basil, a plant sacred to Vishnu) is the most valued offering. This page gives a home puja that you can do on a Thursday, on Ekadashi or any day you wish. It can be shortened to a few minutes. Traditions differ between Vaishnava and Smarta families, so ask your priest about anything beyond these basics.

When to do it

• Thursday (Guruvar) is a day for Vishnu in many families. Some also keep a Thursday fast, often for sixteen Thursdays in a row.
• Ekadashi, the 11th tithi of each fortnight, about 24 days a year. It is the main day for Vishnu, with a fast and a longer puja. See the Ekadashi page for the rules.
• Purnima and other days of thanks, when many families hold the Satyanarayan puja, which has its own page.

Morning, after a bath, is the usual time. An evening puja at dusk is also fine.

What you need

• A murti or picture of Vishnu, Narayana, Krishna or Lakshmi Narayana, or a Shaligram (= a sacred black stone worshipped as Vishnu) if your family has one
• A yellow cloth for the seat
• Tulsi leaves, and yellow flowers such as marigold
• Sandalwood paste, turmeric, akshat (= whole, unbroken rice)
• A ghee lamp, incense, a bell, and a vessel of water
• Fruit, especially banana, and a sweet such as besan laddu
• Milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar for a special bath (optional)

Puja vidhi (steps)

1. Bathe and wear clean clothes; many families choose yellow. Clean the altar and spread the yellow cloth.
2. Sip water three times (see the daily puja page) and state your sankalpa (= spoken intention) in your own words, with a little water and a flower in your right palm.
3. Light the lamp and incense. Begin with "ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय" (om namo bhagavate vasudevaya) three times.
4. Close your eyes for a minute and picture Vishnu, then place a flower before him to invite him.
5. Offer a few drops of water for his feet, hands and mouth.
6. On special days, bathe a metal murti with water, then milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar, with water between; the order varies by family. Dry it gently. A picture is not bathed.
7. Offer sandalwood paste, turmeric and akshat.
8. Offer yellow flowers and tulsi leaves. Tulsi is the heart of the puja.
9. Chant om namo bhagavate vasudevaya or "ॐ नमो नारायणाय" (om namo narayanaya) 108 times, or recite the Vishnu Sahasranama (the thousand names) or part of it. A chapter of the Gita is also common.
10. Offer naivedya (= food offering): banana, fruit and sweets. On Thursdays many families offer yellow foods such as besan laddu or sweet yellow rice.
11. Do aarti with the lamp and bell. Then circle the altar clockwise or turn in place three times, and bow fully if you can.
12. Ask forgiveness for any mistakes, pray in your own words, and share the prasad.

Mantras and aarti

The aarti for this puja is Om Jai Jagdish Hare, whose text is on the Vishnu aarti page. The 108 names of Vishnu and a collection of Vishnu prayers are on their own pages in this section. Ask a priest or elder to guide pronunciation.

Ekadashi fasting. Grains and pulses are avoided, and fruit, milk and nuts are common. Fasts range from one grain-free meal, to fruit and milk only, to water only. The fast is broken on the morning of Dwadashi (the 12th tithi), after sunrise, within the parana (= fast-breaking) window and not during Hari Vasara (= the first quarter of Dwadashi). People with health conditions, pregnant or nursing women, children and the elderly should follow their doctor's advice and may keep a lighter fast.

Doing it in the USA

Tulsi. Indian grocery stores and nurseries sell tulsi plants, and dried leaves are sold online. Tulsi is a warm-weather plant that does not survive frost, so keep a pot by a sunny window in cold months. Ordinary sweet basil is a different plant.

Flowers and sweets. Marigold and yellow roses are easy to find at supermarkets. Besan laddu is simple to make at home from besan, ghee and sugar.

Lamps. A ghee lamp is an open flame. Keep it on a metal plate, away from curtains and the smoke alarm, and put it out when you leave. A battery or LED diya is a sensible stand-in in a rental apartment. Use incense sparingly.

Time. Ekadashi and its parana window depend on your sunrise and your tithi times. The date in the USA can differ by a day from India, and some years Smarta and Vaishnava families keep different days, which the site shows. On a workday, a light fruit breakfast, a short evening puja and the katha are enough.