Does it matter at what time of the day one does puja?

[Devaki]

Vanakkam,

I'm having a mini mental breakdown right now, because a friend of mine (who refers to himself as a proud beef-eating atheist, but that's another matter) asked me why I do puja "so late at night" and not "in the evening like normal (sic) Hindus".

For convenience's sake I got into the habit of doing puja first thing after showering in the morning and pretty much last thing at night before sleep.

Now the problem is that I'm a college student and pretty much nocturnal by nature, so what morning and night mean in my case is pretty...flexible.

Of course I'm aware of the "best" times to do puja, like very early before sunrise, which ...might well be the time I go to bed.

So what do you think? How important is it to pray at the "proper" time. Does it make me a bad Hindu for not adhering to those timings? I always feel like I'm not doing things "right" because I'm a convert anyway so that hit a sore spot.

Thanks for your replies =)

 

[Vinayaka]

Vanakkam,

I'm having a mini mental breakdown right now, because a friend of mine (who refers to himself as a proud beef-eating atheist, but that's another matter) asked me why I do puja "so late at night" and not "in the evening like normal (sic) Hindus".

For convenience's sake I got into the habit of doing puja first thing after showering in the morning and pretty much last thing at night before sleep.

Now the problem is that I'm a college student and pretty much nocturnal by nature, so what morning and night mean in my case is pretty...flexible.

Of course I'm aware of the "best" times to do puja, like very early before sunrise, which ...might well be the time I go to bed.

So what do you think? How important is it to pray at the "proper" time. Does it make me a bad Hindu for not adhering to those timings? I always feel like I'm not doing things "right" because I'm a convert anyway so that hit a sore spot.

Thanks for your replies =)

Personally, I think a consistent time is more important than the time itself. No it does not make you a bad Hindu. The mystical reason for a consistent time is like Pavlov's dog for animal feeding. The devas and inner beings attend the puja as well, and if you start at the same time each day, it's like calling them for a meal, and they hover about even before you start.

As far as 'advice' of that kind goes. if you're listening, you will get all kinds of contradictory advice, so best just to listen to your gut. In our house, I do puja at 6:30 Am or close, and Boss does another at around 2 PM. It's what works, give all the external stuff going on.

 

[Jainarayan]

I’m finding that routine is most important. When I tried doing puja in the evening after work I just couldn’t get a rhythm going. Rhythm meaning consistency. I’ve switched to morning after I’m dressed and about to go to work. For the most part now it’s a part of my morning routine. Not surprisingly on weekends or vacation days when I’m not on my regular routine I don’t usually do a puja.

 

[Devaki]

Thank you everyone for the replies thus far.

So what I gather is that routine matters more than specific times.
In that case I'm good, I do my pujas like clockwork, just a clock that runs on Indian time and is always late
I just wanted to hear from others when they do theirs and stuff because he made it sound like essentially "all Hindus" do it at this or that time and I felt like ... I was doing something seriously wrong.

 

[Vinayaka]

Thank you everyone for the replies thus far.

So what I gather is that routine matters more than specific times.
In that case I'm good, I do my pujas like clockwork, just a clock that runs on Indian time and is always late
I just wanted to hear from others when they do theirs and stuff because he made it sound like essentially "all Hindus" do it at this or that time and I felt like ... I was doing something seriously wrong.

Lots of Hindus extrapolate local customs or personal family traditions into 'All Hindus do ...". It's nonsense and should be ignored. We're diverse.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Does it make me a bad Hindu for not adhering to those timings? I always feel like I'm not doing things "right" because I'm a convert anyway so that hit a sore spot.

No, it does not make you a bad Hindu. When you would do puja or in what way is your personal choice. No one else has the right to find fault with it. I think you are short on self-confidence (being a new convert. Such things will not disturb our friend Vinayaka here and he would know how to reply to such accusations). Vinayaka has already given his reasons, consistency, as far as possible, but that too is not hide-bound, like in case of Jai. He takes a break on weekdays and vacations. It is between you and your deity.

 

[stvdv]

Vanakkam,
So what do you think? How important is it to pray at the "proper" time. Does it make me a bad Hindu for not adhering to those timings? I always feel like I'm not doing things "right" because I'm a convert anyway so that hit a sore spot.
Thanks for your replies =)

My Master said "Feeling is most important when doing Prayer/Puja". God transcends time.