The term “Gruhapravesha'' translates to “entering a house”, and as the name signifies, it is a ritual performed when someone moves into a new place of dwelling. The ritual is performed irrespective of whether the house itself is newly constructed or someone else was previously residing there. When performed by an experienced purohit, the ritual cleanses any presence of negative energy and fills the dwelling with positive energy.

The purohit will follow Vedic astrology to identify the auspicious date and time at which the pooja may be commenced. The traditional Gruhapravesha rituals span over a period of two days, starting with Ganapati pooja, Navagraha pooja, Vaastu pooja, Vaastu Rakshogana homa, Purnahuti and Mahamangalarthi on the first day. These rituals will help rectify any shortcomings in the Vaastu of the house. On the second day, during the Pravesham muhurat, the purohit will perform a purification ritual by chanting Vedic mantras. It is followed by Gau pooja, and the milk boiling ritual. As a part of the Gruhapravesha ritual, Lakshmi pooja, Lakshmi-Kuber homa, Kula devata homa and Satyanarayana pooja are conducted. Through these poojas, the purohit invokes the blessings of the occupant’s family deity, goddess Lakshmi, Kuber and Vishnu to ensure that the residents are bestowed with good fortune, happiness and health while being protected from negative energies.

In addition to the pooja, the purohit may also suggest the ideal placement of various articles and areas for different purposes within the home as per the Vaastu shastra.