Here is a very simple, beginner-friendly puja you can do as a new Jain. It keeps the focus on reverence, inner calm, and learning about right conduct.

What you need

• A clean, quiet space and a small altar or clean table
• A small image or symbol of a Tirthankar (or just a plain clean space)
• A lamp/diya or candle, and incense (optional)
• Fresh flowers or a clean cloth to offer as a sign of respect
• A small bowl of water (for symbolic washing)

basic steps 1) Atmosphere and cleanliness

• Sit quietly, light the lamp and/or incense if you use them.
• Arrange a clean space on your altar. This is a time to turn attention inward and cultivate calm.

2) Respectful opening

• Bow or pay obeisance to the Tirthankaras and to all beings. A simple bow with folded hands (pranām) is common.

3) Navkar Mantra (Namokar Mantra)

• Recite the Navkar Mantra a few times (3–9 times is common for beginners).
• Meaning (very short): We bow to the arihants, siddhas, acharyas, upadhyayas, and all the monks and nuns; we bow to all beings who seek truth and nonviolence.
• Transliteration (one simple version you can use): Namo Arihantānaṁ; Namo Siddhānaṁ; Namo Ayariyānaṁ; Namo Uvāsvāhanaṁ; Namo Loe Savva-sāhūnāṁ.
• If you’re new, focus on the feeling of respect and inner purity rather than perfect pronunciation.

4) Tirthankar Puja (simple offering)

• Place flowers or a clean cloth in front of the image or symbol.
• Offer a small amount of water in a separate cup as a symbolic wash (tirthankar puja often includes the idea of purification and reverence).
• Light a small lamp if you have one, as a symbol of inner light and non-violence.

5) Remembrance of vows and right conduct

• In your own words or by silently reflecting, reaffirm your intention to follow ahimsa (nonviolence), truth, cleanliness, humility, and self-discipline.
• If you know a short Jain verse or stotra you like, you can recite it here (for example, a short verse about virtues such as forgiveness, truth, and compassion).

6) Optional practice: Pratikraman or Samayika (for deeper practice)

• Pratikraman: a brief confession and resolve to avoid harm and to correct mistakes you’ve made toward others and toward your own conduct.
• Samayika: a short period of meditation and reflection, typically done for a fixed time (even 15–20 minutes) focusing on equanimity and nonviolence.
• For a new Jain, doing a tiny version of these (a few minutes of reflection and intention) is perfectly fine.

7) Closing

• Offer a final bow or prayer of gratitude for teachers, sages, and all living beings.
• Gently extinguish the lamp or incense if you used them, and keep the space clean.

Notes and distinctions

• The exact words and forms of puja can vary between Digambar and Shwetambar traditions. The core idea in both is reverence for the Tirthankaras, commitment to nonviolence, truth, and self-improvement, and a calm, respectful mindset.
• If you have a family or a local Jain center, you can follow their preferred routine, which will likely be a small, structured version of the steps above.

Would you like a brief, ready-to-chant version of the Navkar Mantra in Hindi or Gujarati transliteration for practice?