Griha pravesh invitation wording, with a guide to the day

A griha pravesh invitation tells guests about the puja for entering your new home and the meal that follows: the family's name, the new address, the date, the puja time and the lunch or dinner time. Families usually send it one to two weeks ahead, as soon as the priest has fixed the muhurat. Say plainly whether the guest is invited to the puja, the meal or both.

What happens at a griha pravesh

Griha pravesh means “entering the home”. Customs vary by region and family, but the day commonly includes a Ganesh puja, the family entering together with a kalash, and milk boiled in the new kitchen until it overflows, a sign of plenty. Many families also perform a vastu shanti or navagraha puja, and some a havan. A meal for family and friends follows.

Priests often describe three kinds of griha pravesh, which is useful to know when you speak to yours:

• Apoorva, entering a newly built home for the first time.
• Sapoorva, moving into a home that already stood, or returning after a long time away.
• Dwandwah, returning after rebuilding or major repair.

What the invitation should say

• The family's name, the way guests know you.
• The new address in full: tower, flat number, floor, society name, area and a landmark.
• The date and the day.
• The puja time and the meal time on separate lines. Guests coming only to eat will arrive for the meal.
• Directions a guest can follow: a map link, the gate to use, where to park.
• A contact number for the day.

If the building's lift or parking is limited, say so. A new society often has visitor rules in its first months, and a guest who knows to carry an ID or use the service lift arrives in a better mood.

English wording

The names, addresses and dates in these samples are examples.

Hindi wording

Gujarati wording

Gujarati families often write it as ગૃહ પ્રવેશ, and you'll also see the spelling grah pravesh in English. Both mean the same ceremony.

The message to send with the invitation

For elders and close relatives, many families still call first and send the link afterwards, so the invitation arrives as a reminder rather than the first word. The article on sharing invitations on WhatsApp covers the rest of that etiquette.

Timing and the muhurat

The date comes from the family priest or the panchang, and it can be only a few weeks away. That's why griha pravesh invitations usually go out one to two weeks ahead, far later than wedding invitations. If guests need to travel, call them as soon as the muhurat is fixed, and send the invitation when it's ready.

The puja is often early in the morning, since that is when many muhurats fall. In some families only close relatives attend the puja itself and everyone else comes for the meal. Write the invitation so that both groups know when to arrive.

What to arrange before the day

Your priest will usually give you a samagri list for the puja. Beyond that, a few things are worth sorting out a day or two ahead:

• A toran of mango leaves or marigolds for the main door, and a rangoli at the entrance.
• A new vessel and milk for the boiling ritual, and a working gas connection in the kitchen, which in a brand-new flat is not a given.
• Seating for the puja on the floor, plus chairs for elders who can't sit down for long.
• Enough plates and serving space for the meal, or a caterer who brings their own.
• Someone at the building gate with the flat number, for guests who arrive while the family is busy with the puja.

Gifts, and saying no to them

Guests often ask what to bring. Plants, a small idol, brass or silver items for the puja room, and things for the kitchen are all common. If you'd rather not receive gifts, a gentle line near the end, “Your blessings are the only gift we need”, is widely understood.

You can make the invitation from a vastu and puja template, or describe it to ShubhLink AI with the address and times, as the AI invitation maker guide explains. More guides to new-home ceremonies are in housewarming and puja.