Can we eat non-vegetarian food on pūjā days?

most families who eat meat avoid it on pūjā and vrata days and never offer it in home pūjā — but regional and community traditions differ.

Hindu practice includes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian families. Among those who eat meat, fish or eggs, the most common custom is to avoid them on the day of a pūjā or vrata, on particular weekdays (often Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday), during Navarātri, Śrāvaṇa and Kārttika, and during śrāddha periods. The reasoning is to keep the day sāttvic and the kitchen pure for the offering.

Food offered in home pūjā to Viṣṇu, Śiva, Gaṇeśa or Lakṣmī is vegetarian in virtually every tradition. Some communities, however, have long-standing customs: in Bengal, Odisha, Assam and among Kashmiri and coastal families, fish is part of festive meals, and certain Devī and village-deity worship includes non-vegetarian offerings according to their own tradition.

Follow your family and community custom with respect for others’. When in doubt, keep pūjā days vegetarian.

Pūjā and vrata days usually kept vegetarian · Source: common family and regional practice

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