Can we visit a temple or do pūjā during sūtak?

traditionally no temple visits or formal home pūjā, but remembering God in the mind is always allowed.

During aśauca the custom is to stay away from temples, not to touch the home shrine and not to perform formal pūjā, havan or vrata. Many families simply cover the mandir at home with a cloth and resume worship after the purification day. The reason is not that God turns away from a grieving family; it is that this time is given wholly to the departed and to mourning.

What is not stopped is prayer itself. Quietly chanting a name of God, listening to the Gītā or bhajans, and praying for the departed soul are all encouraged — in fact, the Garuḍa Purāṇa and the Gītā are often read aloud in the house during these days.

If someone outside the family invites you to a temple or function during this time, it is perfectly polite to say you are observing sūtak. After the śuddhi (purification), visit the temple as a family to begin normal life again.

Source: Dharmasindhu; common practice · Mental japa is always allowed

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