Gautra Puja - ISKCON Nellore

Gautra Puja (often referring to Gotra Puja) is a traditional Vedic ritual performed to honor one’s ancestral lineage or gotra. In Hindu dharma, gotra signifies the sacred familial line descended from ancient sages (rishis), and performing rituals dedicated to one’s gotra helps in maintaining the purity of this spiritual heritage. Gautra Puja is usually performed during important samskaras (like marriage, upanayanam, or annual ancestral rites), seeking blessings of family deities and rishis associated with the lineage. The puja involves sankalpam, offering of water, flowers, rice, and chanting of lineage mantras, often followed by pitr tarpana or offerings to ancestors. This puja is believed to cleanse karmic influences, remove doshas (defects) related to ancestry, and bring harmony to family life. It strengthens one’s identity in the dharmic framework and invokes divine protection and prosperity for current and future generations, aligning them with their ancestral spiritual path.

Gautra Puja begins with the devotee taking a sankalpam (vow) after purifying themselves through achamanam (sipping holy water) and sitting facing east. The devotee recites their gotra, pravara, and name, invoking blessings from their ancestral rishis. A kalash (water pot) is placed with mango leaves and coconut, symbolizing divine presence. Offerings of akshata (rice), flowers, tulsi, and panchamrit are made while chanting gotra mantras and rishi names specific to the lineage.