What is Ayudha Pooja?

 “Ayudha” means ‘weapon/tool,’ while Pooja refers to worship. Ayudha Pooja is a ritual that is part of the festival called “Navratri”, “Dussehra”, or “Golu” in different regions of India.

 

Navratri is a 9-day festival that honors the Divine Feminine. Devotees worship 9 different forms of Goddess Durga during the festival.

 

The day is also called Ayudha Pooja, Astra Pooja, Shastra Pooja, and Khande Navami in different parts of India. It falls in the Tamil month of Purattasi, also called Bhadrapada in the North Indian almanac. It is celebrated on the 9th day of Navratri.

 

What is the Significance of Ayudha Pooja?

Work is central to our lives. There is even a saying that goes, “Work is worship.’ Work not only gives us a purpose in life, but it also fulfils us and provides us with a livelihood. Ayudha Pooja is a festival that honors the tools that enable us to do our work efficiently. All that we do should be surrendered to God, and this applies to our work as well. For this reason, work is considered as worship.

 

Ayudha Pooja is a ritual that pays tribute to the tools used in one’s profession. It can be a pen, a laptop, a plow, a paintbrush, or a musical instrument. Vehicles are also worshipped on this day.

 

The festival reminds us that we should treat our work with respect and gratitude. In South India, the festival is also observed as Saraswati Pooja. On this occasion, children worship their books and pray to the Goddess for success in academic life. Saraswati is the deity of knowledge, wisdom, learning, and the arts.

 

What are the Legends behind Ayudha Pooja?

The belief is that after Goddess Durga vanquished the demon Mahishasura on the ninth night, she laid down her weapons to be worshipped. Hence, the day was called Ayudha Pooja. The Mahabharata epic mentions the importance of the ceremony.

 

It was also on this day that the Pandava prince Arjuna retrieved his weapons from the Shami tree where he had hidden them during the Pandavas’ exile period of 13 years. This happened to be the day of Vijayadashami, the day of victory. With the blessings of Goddess Durga, the Pandavas went on to win the war against their foes, the Kauravas.

 

Another story is about the practice of Kala Bali, or battlefield sacrifice. In ancient times, before a battle began, the warring sides would make a human sacrifice to gain victory by appeasing the war Gods. Later on, cattle or sheep took the place of humans. This legend finds mention in the Mahabharata. Before the Kurukshetra war, an astrologer advised Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandava princes, to perform a human sacrifice the day before the war, which was a new moon day. Aravaan, the son of Arjuna, volunteered to be the sacrificial victim. Yudhishthira sacrificed Aravaan to Goddess Kali, who appeared on the battlefield and blessed the Pandavas. This happened on the day after Dusshera, which is Ayudha Pooja.

 

The third story is the most widely known. The demon Mahishasura defeated the great Devas. A boon from Lord Brahma meant that no man could kill him. So, all the gods came together and combined their energies. Durga was born from their combined energies. She had many hands wielding fearsome weapons of war, and her mount was a lion. She waged battle against the Asuras. Mahishasura was a shape-shifter. As he was changing into a massive buffalo, Goddess Durga cut off his head and killed him. Thus, Durga became Mahishasuramardhini. The next day, she laid down her weapons, and the gods and humans worshipped them.  The day became Ayudha Pooja.

 

How is Ayudha Pooja Celebrated?

The Pooja mainly involves the worship of weapons and implements. Homes, offices, and shops perform special Pooja to Goddess Saraswati. People worship the tools or implements they use in their work. They decorate these with sandalwood paste, vermilion, and sacred ash. Those who have vehicles perform Vahana (Vehicle) Pooja. They clean the vehicles and decorate them in the same manner as the tools. They also decorate the vehicles with flowers. The Pooja concludes with the smashing of a white pumpkin, coconut, and lime, decorated with turmeric and vermilion in front of the office/shop/house/vehicle. The belief is that this wards off all evil forces.

 

Each family or workplace may have different observances for Ayudha Pooja. However, some rituals are common to most celebrations.

 

Golu

People clean the house or work place thoroughly. In Tamil Nadu, where people display Golu, the house is cleaned 10 days before the Pooja.

 

For the Golu, a tiered platform of 9 or 7 steps is set up. Idols of deities, figurines depicting everyday scenes, etc., are arranged on the platform. People invite their friends and relatives to view the Golu on each of the nine days and receive Prasad.

 

Before Ayudha Pooja, all the instruments and tools used for work are also cleaned. Vehicles are also cleaned well, serviced, and refurbished, if necessary.

 

People smear sandal paste in horizontal streaks on the images and figurines of deities, tools, and vehicles, and place vermilion tilaks over the sandal paste.

 

Idols of Goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati are attired in red and white sarees, respectively.

 

Vahana Pooja

Vehicles are adorned with flower garlands and plantain stems and leaves. People also hang Mango leaf thorans at the entrance of their homes. They decorate the Pooja room and the deities within using fresh flowers, and arrange the tools in front of the idols, along with books, laptops, pens, pencils, etc.

 

The Neivedyam includes puffed rice (Poha) mixed with jiggery, different types of Sundal, fruits, etc. Devotees also offer sweets, white pumpkins, and flowers.

 

After the Pooja concludes, people use the implements as the Gods have now blessed them for success. They perform Arati to vehicles with camphor placed on a lemon, coconut, and pumpkin. They dash them open on the ground and then take the vehicles for a short ride.

 

The tools remain in the Pooja area for the rest of the day, and people do not use them. Hence, most workplaces perform the Pooja at the closing of the previous business day. Ayudha Pooja will be a holiday.

 

In South India, Ayudha Pooja is an important festival like Ganesha Chaturthi and Diwali.

 

What are the Benefits of Celebrating Ayudha Pooja?

· Removes hurdles associated with profession/business pursuits

· Bestows skills, talent, perfection, and wisdom

· Ensures mastery in one’s profession

· Teaches us to value the tools, weapons, and instruments that support our livelihood. 

·Inspires us to do our work with responsibility, humility, and dedication. 

· Bestows prosperity, success, and divine blessings. 

Spiritualizes our attitude to work, and enables us to see our tools as conduits of divine energy. 

 

Ayudha Pooja 2025 is on October 1.