Panchadeva puja is the worship of five gods in Hinduism. The
five deities worshipped are Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Goddess Durga, and Surya.
The worship is also referred as Panchayatana puja.
In ancient times, this kind of puja was very popular only in
some regions and also among some sects especially the Smarta sect. But today
majority of the Hindus knowingly or unknowingly perform Panchadeva Puja.
Hindus begin by offering prayers to Ganesha. Morning prayers
are dedicated to Surya – the rising sun – which is also referred as the
Pratyaksha Brahman or visible God. Then puja is offered to Vishnu, Shiva and
Mother Goddess.
It must be noted here that in earlier times people who
performed the Panchadeva Puja were those who were not aligned with Vaishnava or
Shaiva sect.