Chitragupta Puja 2018: Significance, Date And Rituals

Chitragupta Puja is celebrated on the day of Bhai Dooj after Diwali. So Chitragupta Puja 2018 is being celebrated today. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Chitragupta is the god maintaining the detailed record of every human being's doing. The accountant of Yama, Lord Chitragupta has the account of a human being's doing and serves justice according to them. On Bhai Dooj, Hindus, especially traders, offer prayers to Lord Chitragupta to please him. Lord Chitragupta is the primary deity of the Kayastha caste.

In offering their prayers to Lord Chitragupta, people account for their income and expenditure on a piece of paper and present it before their god. After this, "Shree" is written down in new account books. Chitragupta Puja is also termed as Chitragupta Jayanti Puja and Dawat Puja.

When is Chitragupta Puja celebrated?

According to the Hindu calendar, Chitragupta Puja is performed on the second part of the Kartik Shukla Paksha. According to the English calendar, Chitragupta Puja is celebrated on the day of Bhaiya Dooj which is two days after Diwali. Four days after that, Chhath Puja is celebrated. Chhath Puja is celebrated with much fanfare in Bihar and lasts for four days. 

Chitragupta Puja items

For Chitragupta Puja, one would require a photograph of Lord Chitragupta, that of Lord Ganesh, a red cloth, pen, account book, plain paper, kalash, lota, lamp, mango leaves, basil leaves, flowers, garlands, ink, milk, ghee, ginger, jaggery, Ganga water, turmeric, paan, cotton, incense sticks, holy threads and sandalwood.