Diwali Puja for Shops and Offices: Vidhi and Bahi Khata Puja
For Diwali puja, arrange your account book and pen beside Lakshmi-Ganesh images. Bahi Khata Puja (बही-खाता पूजा) is the worship of account books. You may also know it as Chopda Pujan or Sharda Puja.
These steps cover a short shop or office puja. If your family uses a different puja order, follow that order.
What to Arrange for Shop and Office Puja
Use a clean table or a low wooden platform, called a chowki (चौकी). Cover it with a clean cloth. Place Lakshmi-Ganesh images at the back, with offerings in front.
Arrange the following puja items, or samagri (सामग्री), before you begin. Leave room beside the images for your account book.
Worship
Lakshmi-Ganesh images, flowers and akshat (अक्षत), unbroken rice grains
Marks on the book
Red sandalwood paste (लाल चन्दन)
Food offerings
Fruit or sweets on a separate plate
Diya and aarti
Diya, cotton wick, oil or ghee, and a heat-resistant holder
Account-book worship
Book and pen
Water offerings, if included
Water vessel, spoon and a separate bowl
Other items, if included
Cash box, work laptop or inkpot for separate pen worship
For puja with a kalash (कलश), arrange the pot and its offerings separately. Check the full Lakshmi Puja Vidhi for those steps.
Position the diya away from books, cloth, packaging and computer cables. Leave enough room for customers and staff to pass the table.
When to Perform Diwali Puja at Work
Plan before inviting staff
Check the puja time, or muhurat (मुहूर्त), for your city. Choose the time before inviting staff or changing shop hours.
Check the correct muhurat
For Lakshmi Puja, check the city-wise evening muhurat. Gujarati Chopda Pujan also has selected daytime and night slots. Check the timing for the puja you plan to perform.
Closing early?
If your office closes before Diwali, discuss an earlier puja with your pandit ji. For worship on Diwali itself, check the festival muhurat separately.
Begin with Sankalp and Lakshmi-Ganesh Puja
Wash your hands and sit near the puja table. Light the diya if your building allows it.
Take sankalp
Take sankalp (संकल्प). Name your business and state why you are performing the puja. You can pray in your own words: “I offer this puja for my business. Please bless everyone who works here.” For a formal sankalp, provide the details your pandit ji requests.
Ganesh ji first
Worship Ganesh ji first. Place flowers and akshat on a small plate before Ganesh ji. Pray for wisdom in your work and decisions.
Pray to Maa Lakshmi
Offer prayers to Maa Lakshmi. Place flowers before her image and offer fruit or sweets. Pray for blessings on your work and everyone who works with you.
Optional pen worship
Include pen worship if you practise it. During pen worship (कलम पूजा), you honour Maa Mahakali through the pen and inkpot (दवात). Place these beside the book and offer flowers before beginning account-book worship.
with correct dates and amounts
Bahi Khata Puja: What to Write and Offer
Use a new account book if you open one at Diwali. If you record accounts on a computer, you can choose a notebook for puja.
Open the first page. Write शुभ लाभ (Shubh Labh) on that page. Shubh stands for good fortune, and Labh for gain or profit.
If your family draws a swastika, add it on the same page. Use red sandalwood paste for this mark. Avoid covering any existing writing.
Pray to Maa Saraswati. In Sharda Puja, you worship Saraswati through the account book. Offer flowers beside the book and recite:
ॐ श्रीसरस्वत्यै नमः।
Om Shri Saraswatyai Namah.
This prayer honours Maa Saraswati. Pray for wisdom in your work and accuracy in your accounts.
Place food offerings on a separate plate. If you offer water, collect it in a bowl beside the book. This protects the pages from getting wet.
Shubh Labh is a prayer written in the book. Record sales, expenses and other business entries separately, using correct dates and amounts.
Cash Box and Tijori Puja
For Kubera worship, place your cash box beside the puja table. If you use a fixed safe, or tijori (तिजोरी), put an offering plate beside it.
You can worship Kubera through a cash or jewellery box when no Kubera image is available. Offer flowers and recite:
ॐ श्रीकुबेराय नमः।
Om Shri Kuberaya Namah.
Place offerings away from cash, documents and the lock. You can leave this step out of the short puja if you do not include cash-box worship.
Cash-box worship may be left out of the short puja.
Bahi Khata Puja When Accounts Are Digital
Use a paper book for puja
If your shop records sales on a computer, a paper book can serve for puja. Your regular accounts can remain on the computer.
A work laptop may be included
You can also include a work laptop in the worship. Place it on a dry surface beside the puja table.
Protect the device and business data
Put flowers and other offerings on a separate plate. Avoid applying paste, water or rice to the screen, keyboard or ports. Leave account screens closed so private business information stays out of view.
Finish with Aarti and Put Away the Books
Perform aarti & share prasad
Perform aarti with Jai Ganesh Deva and Om Jai Lakshmi Mata. Then share prasad, the food offered during worship, with everyone attending. Staff can choose to join the puja.
Close and store the book
Collect the book and pen without spilling offerings between the pages. Once any paste has dried, close the book and store it in a dry place.
Resume on Labh Pancham if customary
If you reopen on Labh Pancham (लाभ पंचम), begin using the blessed book when work resumes. This is a Gujarati business custom, not a closure rule for every shop.
Secure and extinguish
Secure cash and business papers before closing the workplace. Put out diyas and incense before everyone leaves.
Questions About Shop and Office Diwali Puja
How much time should we allow for the puja?
Ask how much time the prayers you choose will take. Extra prayers or havan will need more time.
Can someone arrange the puja if the owner is absent?
Ask a partner or staff member who wants to take part. Agree with your pandit ji on who will take sankalp and prepare the items.
Is havan required for this puja?
The short puja above does not include havan. If you add it, arrange the materials and ask the building manager about fire restrictions.
Can we use electric diyas if the building does not allow flames?
Use electric diyas for lighting and follow the building rules. Discuss how to offer the lamp with your pandit ji before the puja.
What should we do with previous account books?
Store previous books with your business records. You do not need to throw away older books when you use a new one for puja.
Arrange a Pandit for Shop or Office Puja
For a shop or office puja in Delhi, contact Satvikly to check pandit availability. Share your location, preferred date and the prayers you want included. Ask about the puja items and time needed before booking.
Diwali Puja Kit
A convenient set of 31 puja items for Lakshmi–Ganesh worship. Keep books, electronics, and business records separate from water and paste.
