Puja Vidhi

Best Days & Time

• Day: Sunday (Ravivar) and every Ashtami (8th lunar day)
• Time: Midnight (Nishitha kaal, 11:30 PM – 12:30 AM) is most powerful. Alternatively, at dusk or early morning before sunrise.
• Month: Margashirsha month (Nov–Dec) is especially sacred for Bhairav.
• Direction: Face North or East. Place Bhairav's image or yantra in front.

Puja Samagri — पूजा सामग्री

Gather these items before beginning:

Note: Bhairav is non-vegetarian in some traditions. Alcohol and meat offerings are made in tantric traditions. For home puja, vegetarian offerings are perfectly acceptable.

Daily Puja — Step by Step

1. Shuddhi (Purification)
   Bathe and wear clean clothes. Sprinkle Gangajal on yourself and the puja space. Light a ghee or mustard oil lamp. Say mentally: "I am performing this puja for the blessings of Lord Vikrant Bhairav."
2. Aavahan (Invocation)
   Ring a bell and chant: ॐ भैरवाय नमः three times. Request Lord Bhairav to be present in the image or yantra.
3. Snan (Ritual Bath)
   Offer panchamrit (mix of milk, curd, honey, ghee, and sugar) to the image, then wash with clean water or Gangajal.
4. Vastra (Cloth Offering)
   Offer black or red cloth symbolically. Apply kumkum tilak on the image's forehead.
5. Pushpa (Flower Offering)
   Offer red flowers, marigold, or bilva patra. Bhairav is particularly pleased by red flowers and dhatura in some traditions.
6. Dhoop & Deep (Incense & Lamp)
   Light incense and wave it in a clockwise circle before the deity 3 times. Then wave the oil lamp similarly. Chant: ॐ काल भैरवाय नमः
7. Naivedya (Food Offering)
   Place coconut, jaggery, black sesame ladoo, or roti with mustard oil before the deity. Do not eat until after the puja is complete.
8. Mantra Jaap (Chanting)
   Chant ॐ भैरवाय नमः 108 times on a rudraksha mala. You may also recite the Bhairav Chalisa or Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam at this point.
9. Aarti
   Wave the lit lamp in circles before the image, singing or reciting the Bhairav Aarti. Ring the bell continuously during Aarti.
10. Pradakshina & Pranaam
    Circumambulate the altar 3 or 7 times (clockwise). Then bow completely (Sashtanga pranaam) before the Lord.
11. Visarjan (Conclusion)
    Request the Lord to accept the puja and bless the devotee. Say: "Yatha shakti yatha bhakti pujitosi mahadeva." Take the prasad and distribute it.

Special Sunday Puja

Sunday is the primary day of Lord Bhairav. In addition to the daily vidhi:

• Fast through the day (ekadashi-style or one meal only)
• Visit a Bhairav temple if possible and offer mustard oil at the feet of the idol
• Feed dogs — they are Lord Bhairav's vehicle (vahana). Feeding black dogs is especially auspicious
• Donate black sesame, mustard oil, or black urad dal to the poor
• Light 8 mustard oil lamps around the Bhairav image or at a crossroads (chauraha) after sunset

What to Avoid

• Do not perform Bhairav puja in a state of impurity or after consuming alcohol (unless in specific tantric contexts with initiation)
• Do not begin puja and leave it incomplete
• Women during menstruation may sit and chant mantras but avoid touching the image directly — this varies by tradition
• Do not face South while performing puja
• Never perform puja with broken or chipped items
• Do not offer tulsi to Bhairav — it is reserved for Vishnu