Vedic wisdom, explained with its sources
Festivals, puja, scripture and daily practice, written in plain English and checked against the texts. Where traditions differ, we say so.
- 8articles
- 4topics
- 55sources cited
Featured articles

The five days of Diwali: from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj
Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi, Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj: the stories, the regional differences, and the 2026 dates for New Delhi.
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Sharad Navratri: the nine nights, Navadurga and Vijayadashami
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The Gayatri Mantra: its source, meaning and how to begin
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All 8 articles
FestivalsThe five days of Diwali: from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj
Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi, Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj: the stories, the regional differences, and the 2026 dates for New Delhi.
FestivalsSharad Navratri: the nine nights, Navadurga and Vijayadashami
What the nine autumn nights honour, the nine forms of Durga, how Bengal, Gujarat and the South keep them, and the 2026 dates for New Delhi.
Spiritual practiceThe Gayatri Mantra: its source, meaning and how to begin
Where the Gayatri Mantra comes from, what each word means, why it opens with om bhur bhuvah svah, and a simple way to begin chanting it.
ScripturesKarma yoga in the Bhagavad Gita: acting without clinging to results
What the Gita means by working without attachment to results, read through four key verses and the commentators who shaped them.
Puja and ritualsShodashopachara: the sixteen offerings of a formal puja
Why a formal puja unfolds like a host welcoming an honoured guest, what each of the sixteen upacharas means, and the five-step form for home.
Spiritual practiceBrahma muhurta: the hour before dawn, and how to begin
What a muhurta is, how brahma muhurta is worked out from sunrise, what the classical texts say, and a gentle way to start rising early.
Puja and ritualsSankalpa: the statement of intention that opens a puja
What a sankalpa says, why it places you in cosmic time and sacred geography, why water is held in the palm, and how to make a simple one at home.
ScripturesShruti and smriti: a reader's map of Hindu scripture
From the four Vedas and the Upanishads to the epics, Puranas, Agamas and bhakti poetry: how Hindu scripture fits together, and where to start.
Careful, sourced and respectful of every tradition
Written by the Vedic Divine Wisdom editorial team. For your own family’s practice, your elders and family priest come first.
- SourcedEach article lists the texts and references it draws on, so you can read further and check our work.
- Traditions differWhere customs vary by region, community or lineage, we say so rather than pick one as the only way.
- No fear, no miraclesWe explain what a practice means and how it is done. We never promise outcomes or use fear to persuade.