Puja Essentials
The small things that make up an Indian prayer each day: agarbatti and dhoop, cotton battis, kumkum and chandan, and the sacred threads tied at the start of a ritual.
Dhoop & Agarbatti
Incense sticks, dhoop cones, dhoop batti and sambrani in floral, sandalwood, guggal and other tra…
Cotton Wicks & Ghee Battis
Round phool battis, long lambi battis, ready ghee-soaked wicks and akhand jyoti wicks for lightin…
Kumkum, Chandan & Tilak
Kumkum, roli, sandalwood paste and powder, ashtagandha, gopi chandan and sindoor for marking the…
Ritual Threads
Mauli or kalava, janeu, raksha sutra and other sacred threads tied or worn during sankalp, vrat,…
Ask anyone who keeps a mandir at home and they will tell you the same thing: the idol stays, but the supplies run out. Puja essentials are the consumables of worship, the items you light, apply, offer and tie, and then replace week after week. This section gathers those everyday materials so the shelf near your altar never runs empty before a festival or a guest's visit.
Fragrance is usually the first need. Agarbatti burns on a bamboo core and suits a quick morning prayer, while dhoop cones and sticks give a thicker, longer smoke that many families prefer for the evening aarti. Next to them sit the cotton wicks, sold as round phool battis, long lambi battis and ready ghee-soaked pieces for those who want less fuss with the diya.
Then come the marks of devotion. Kumkum, sandalwood paste, haldi and ashtagandha are applied to the deity and to the forehead, and each has its own place in different traditions. Ritual threads such as mauli or kalava are tied on the wrist when a sankalp is taken, and janeu is worn by those who follow that custom.
When choosing, read the pack for ingredients, keep powders in closed boxes away from damp, and store incense where children and pets cannot reach the lit end.
Madhuma lists these puja essentials by type, so you can restock exactly what your own routine uses.