Deepa Puja is an auspicious observance to perform on Ashada Amavasya day. In 2011, the date of Deepa Puja or Diya Pooja is July 30 in Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada and Telugu calendars. As per North Indian Hindu calendar Ashada Amavasya Deepa Puja is July 1. On the day of Deepa Puja, people clean and decorate their houses. Devotees clean all diyas (deepas) they had in house and decorate them with colours. They clean and sanctify a table and decorate it with rangoli (kolam) designs or patterns and keep all the diyas on the table. Then, they lit the diyas and perform puja.
Deepa Puja is dedicated to the ones Ishta Devata (Favorite God) and to Pancha Bhootas (five primordial elements – Air, Water, Fire, Sky and the Earth). Some devotees dedicate Deepa Puja or the Deepa Jyothi (sacred flame) to the Mother Goddesses – Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Parvati and Goddess Saraswati.
In the evening of Deepa puja day, all the diyas are lit once again and kept around the house just like Diwali Puja (Deepavali Pooja). People believe that the sparkling light of diyas drives out all the evil and bad powers by which they are suffered and welcomes new brightness into their life. They also believe that Deepa Puja provides them Asta Aishwarayas (8 types of wealth). Just after the day of Deepa Puja (Ashada Amavasya), the holy Shravan month begins.
