The mantra is the puja
Gayatri Mata is the Gayatri Mantra worshipped as a goddess, so the centre of her worship is not an elaborate ritual but japa, repetition of the mantra with attention to its meaning: "may that divine light inspire our understanding". A lamp, a picture and a few flowers frame the practice; the mantra itself is the offering.
When and where
- The sandhyas: at dawn, at midday and at dusk, the three junctions of the day. Dawn is the most important; if you can do only one, do that.
- Direction: face east in the morning and west in the evening, towards the sun.
- Special days: Gayatri Jayanti, Navratri and the Gupt Navratris, and Shravan Purnima, when the sacred thread is renewed.
What you will need
- A picture of Gayatri Mata, often shown on a swan with the rising sun behind her
- A ghee lamp and incense
- Yellow or white flowers, akshat, and a little water in a lota
- A tulsi or sandalwood mala of 108 beads
- A clean mat or asana to sit on
Daily puja and japa, step by step
- Prepare. Bathe and wear clean clothes. Sit on the asana facing east (or west in the evening), back straight.
- Settle. Sip a little water three times (achaman) and take a few slow, deep breaths to quiet the mind.
- Light and offer. Light the lamp and incense before her picture, and offer flowers and akshat.
- Dhyana. Picture Gayatri Mata as the radiant light of the rising sun, seated on a swan.
- Japa. Chant the Gayatri Mantra on the mala: one bead per mantra, 108 beads per round. Do not cross the larger guru bead; turn the mala back at it. Begin with one round; three rounds is a common daily practice.
- Stotra. Recite the Gayatri Stotram, whose last verse asks forgiveness for the day's faults.
- Chalisa (optional). Read the Gayatri Chalisa if you have time.
- Aarti. Sing Jayati Jai Gayatri Mata.
- Arghya (morning). If you can, offer water to the rising sun from the lota, and pour it towards the east.
The anushthana
A Gayatri anushthana is a fixed course of japa with a resolve. The best-known is the laghu anushthana of 24,000 mantras in nine days, often kept in Navratri: that is about 27 rounds of the mala a day. During the anushthana, devotees keep the same time and place each day, eat simple sattvik food, and close on the last day with a small havan or by feeding others. One mantra for each of the twenty-four syllables of the Gayatri, multiplied by a thousand, is the traditional explanation of the number.
Frequently asked questions
Can women chant the Gayatri Mantra?
Yes. Older custom restricted it, but twentieth-century reformers, including the Arya Samaj and Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya's All World Gayatri Pariwar, opened Gayatri japa to everyone regardless of caste or gender, and today millions of women chant it daily.
How many times should I chant the Gayatri Mantra?
A common daily practice is one to three rounds of 108 on a mala. Even eleven or twenty-four repetitions with full attention are better than many said in a hurry.
What is the best time to chant it?
Dawn, in the period around sunrise, facing east. The midday and dusk sandhyas are the other traditional times.
What is a Gayatri anushthana?
A vowed course of japa, most often 24,000 mantras in nine days, kept with regular timing, simple food and a closing havan or act of charity.
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