puja

American

[poo-jah] / ˈpu dʒɑ /

noun

Hinduism.

the worship of a particular god.

puja British

/ ˈpuːdʒaː /

noun

Hinduism a ritual in honour of the gods, performed either at home or in the mandir (temple)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of puja

From the Sanskrit word pūjā

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There’s a puja that we have on Dhanteras, which is a day or two before Diwali.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

Durga puja theme designers say they were already neck-deep in work when the protests erupted.

From BBC • Oct. 10, 2024

Sure, Sam helps her mom set up a puja and memorizes a few Hindu prayers in preparation for defeating the Pishacha.

From Salon • Sep. 28, 2023

The temple’s Instagram account hosts puja livestreams to its more than 10,000 followers.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 21, 2023

I made a respectful puja, bowing to the household shrine.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023