Chopda Puja

Lakshmi Puja during Diwali is better known as Chopda Puja in Gujarat.

Gujarati community is famous for their entrepreneurial skills and family businesses are successfully managed generation after generation. Unlike corporate houses, family businesses uphold traditions even in the modern India. Hence, most professionally run businesses also imbue the culture of Indian traditions and plan important business events during auspicious timings. Chopda Puja is also part of religious traditions where a successful business needs blessing of deities to make the coming year profitable.

Diwali it the most appropriate time to seek blessing of Bhagawati Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha and Maa Sharda to make the coming year prosperous and profitable. Hence new account books are sanctified during Diwali Chopda Puja.

In Gujarat traditional accounting books are known as Chopda or Chopada. However, in the era of computer and Internet, importance of Chopda has been marginalized as most businesses use laptops and accounting software to manage their financials. But it doesn't change the significance of Chopda Puja as businessmen use their laptop as Chopda and worship it in front of deities. In current time Swastika, Om and Shubh-Labh are drawn at top of the laptop instead of Chopda.

In Gujarat, Choghadiya Muhurat are in prevalence and considered suitable to perform Chopda Puja. People prefer auspicious Choghadiya timings on the day of Deepavali. The Choghadiya Muhurat which are considered auspicious to perform Puja are Amrit, Shubh, Labh and Char. The advantage of using Choghadiya Muhurat is that those are available during day time as well as night time. However, in Electional Astrology, Lagna based Muhurat especially during Pradosh are given preference over Choghadiya Muhurat. Hence, Lagna based Diwali Muhurat and Pradosh time Lakshmi Puja Muhurat are considered more significant during Diwali Lakshmi Puja.

The ritual of Chopda Puja is also known as Muhurat Pujan and Chopada Pujan. Apart from Gujarat, Chopda Puja is also performed in Rajasthan and Maharashtra by Hindu business community.