a Hindu prayer ritual or act of worship that involves making offerings to a deity, performed at home or in a temple.
From Sanskrit 'pūjā,' meaning 'reverence' or 'respect.' The word traveled into English through colonial encounters with India and is now widely used to describe Hindu devotional practices.
A puja isn't just prayer—it's a multi-sensory ritual with flowers, incense, bells, and food offerings that engages the whole body and mind. Neuroscience shows ritual actually changes brain activity in specific ways!
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