Pooja

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A spiritual practice in Hinduism that involves rituals and offerings made to deities to seek blessings and favors
2. A ceremonial act of worship in the Hindu tradition that includes making offerings, reciting prayers, and engaging in rituals
3. A form of worship in Hinduism characterized by rituals and offerings to divine beings in order to invoke their presence and blessings

Etymology: "Pooja" is an alternative spelling of "puja", and both come straight from Sanskrit "pūjā", meaning reverence or worship. The word carries the sense of honouring someone or something, and in Hindu practice it names the ritual act itself: offerings, prayers and devotional acts made to a deity, whether at a household shrine or a temple. The Sanskrit root idea is one of respect rather than sacrifice alone, which helps explain why the term covers such a wide range of activity, from a brief daily act at home to elaborate festival ceremonies. English speakers mostly met the word through the vocabulary of Hinduism and South Asian life, and the spelling "pooja" reflects a transliteration that reads more naturally to many English readers than "puja" does.