All of Swami Satyananda Saraswati's puja books are excellent. The "beginner" puja books (Durga, Shiva, etc.) are so clearly written, with instructions for each part of the puja, that one can immediately begin to do puja in the traditional way. After practicing for a while at the beginner level, one can then begin to explore the more complex rituals of Cosmic Puja or the Advanced Pujas translated by this same Swami. The fact that his main practice, both as a student in India and then as a Swami both in India and the US, has been puja is part of what makes the puja books published by Devi Mandir so valuable. The material is accurately translated, not "watered-down" or "Westernized" and very accessible.

Melinda Sadhvi Sokoloff, Boston

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Puja means those actions that generate merit for the doer. And a formal puja or worship is a time-honored Hindu way of propitiating the deities and accumulating good merits. Usually puja traditions are passed down orally or recorded randomly. Swami Satyananda Saraswati has collected from various resources and compiled them into one neat offering. In fact this is one of the few books available in the West that explain and demystify puja practices for the beginner. As an added bonus to the Sanskrit-shy folks, a companion CD is also available. There are newsgroups Devi Mandir that further help to explain finer nuances of the steps in the puja.

A great way to begin to explore your relationship with Shiva.

Nanda, California

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