What is a car puja? Simply put, it's a ceremony to consecrate or bless a new car in the Lord's name and keep it safe from bad influences.
Protect Your Machines!
Hindus bless all items and implements that are used in daily life — homes, cars, motorized vehicles of all types, home appliances, such as mixers, grinders, stoves, TVs, stereos, etc.
When is this performed?
It's done at the inception of the implement, just before using it or as soon as possible after purchase. When you buy a new car or a home, you do the puja before driving the car or moving into the new house.
Here, I will try to explain this puja. However, puja details may vary from 'pujari' to 'pujari' (Hindu priest).
How to Set it Up
Call your local Hindu Temple and ask to set up an appointment. This is not always necessary, but it is a good thing to do so you don't show up on a day you can't get the pujari's time to do the puja, which took about 15-20 minutes. In addition to setting up the time, ask about the fee. In the Syracuse Hindu Mandir it costs $31 dollars. Usually the fee will end in 1 — so that it is an odd number. Even number amounts are not considered auspicious.
Step 0:
Just before the rituals begin, I wash my brand new car and wipe it clean.
