Grihapravesha () is a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

traditional housewarming ceremony performed when moving into a new home. The ritual is believed to purify the house, invite prosperity, and seek divine blessings for the residents. It is an essential part of Hindu culture, especially in India and Nepal, and is performed following auspicious astrological timings. This ceremony is similar in nature to a housewarming party. This ritual has several variants in its name in Indian languages * Gruha Pravesh in , , and * Griho Probesh in * Graha Pravesam in , * Gruha Pravesam in and * Gruha Pravesha in The activities performed during Grihapravesha are said to have been described in the ancient text,

Matsya Purana The ''Matsya Purana'' (IAST: Matsya Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen major Puranas (Mahapurana), and among the oldest and better preserved in the Puranic genre of Sanskrit literature in Hinduism. The text is a Vaishnavism text named after the h ...

. Through these rituals, it is believed that the evil spirits inhabiting the new house are driven out while also invoking gods to obtain their blessings and thank them for the new house. The ''puja'' (prayer ritual) of this ceremony is performed in various stages during the construction and entry of the house. Once the home is ready, an adherent is described the ''

muhurta Muhūrta () is a Hindu unit of time along with ''nimiṣa'', ''kāṣṭhā'', and ''kalā'' in the Hindu calendar. In the ''Brāhmaṇas'', ''muhūrta'' denotes a division of time: 1/30 of a day, or a period of 48 minutes. An alternative meanin ...

'' (auspicious period) to conduct the ''puja'', in consultation with an astrologer or a Hindu priest. The rite of ''vastu shanti'' is generally performed by a priest, done to propitiate the benevolent deities associated with the household and to ward away evil spirits. According to Vaastu Shastra, a house is made up of five elements, namely,

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

air An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...

, and

sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the planetary surface, surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from ...

. Performing Griha Pravesh Puja is beneficial in bringing happiness to the new house.

Types

According to the ''Vastu Shashtra'', the ''grihapravesha'' is prescribed in three forms: * ''Apurva'', which is performed upon the first entry into a newly constructed home * ''Sampurva'', which is done when an individual enters the home after arriving from a foreign land * ''Dvandva'', which is done when the individual enters the home after reconstruction or renovation

References

{{Reflist Puja types in Hinduism Hindu rituals