The Practice: Eating and Praying Close to the Ground
In countless Hindu homes, meals are still eaten sitting cross-legged on the floor, on a simple mat or low wooden peedha, rather than at a table and chair. The same is true of puja, where the worshipper sits on a small aasan (seat) placed directly on the ground rather than a chair or sofa.
This is not seen as old-fashioned so much as intentional. Even homes that use dining tables for everyday convenience often return to floor seating for festivals, weddings and special family meals, and almost every puja room, however small, includes a mat or aasan for this purpose.
The Traditional Reasoning Behind It
Food has long been treated as sacred in Hindu tradition, with the Taittiriya Upanishad describing food itself as a form of Brahman, the divine. Sitting low and close to the earth while eating is a way of receiving this sacred gift with humility, rather than approaching it casually.
For puja, sitting on a cloth or grass aasan rather than the bare floor has its own traditional logic. The aasan is understood to keep the worshipper's focus and energy steady during mantra chanting, insulating them from the ground the way a cushion steadies a long, still sitting practice.
What This Posture Symbolises
Sitting on the floor for a shared meal places everyone, regardless of age or status, at the same level, which is often read as a quiet symbol of equality and togetherness at the table. It also keeps the body grounded, connected to Bhoomi Devi, Mother Earth, who is honoured in her own right in Hindu tradition.
The cross-legged, steady posture used for both eating and puja is also considered good for digestion and for the calm, alert stillness that prayer and meditation call for.
How This Custom Continues Today
Even as dining tables have become common in Indian homes, floor seating remains the norm for festival meals, wedding feasts and community gatherings. Temple kitchens and events like a Satyanarayan puja or a bhandara often serve food in a pankti, long rows of guests seated together on the floor.
Puja rooms in modern apartments, however compact, almost always keep a small aasan or mat, showing that this custom has adapted in scale without disappearing.
A Simple, Grounding Takeaway
Whether at a floor spread for a festival meal or a small puja aasan at home, this simple posture carries a big idea: staying humble and grounded before food and before God. It's a small daily habit that quietly turns an ordinary moment into an act of gratitude.
Common Questions From Devotees
Why do Hindus avoid using chairs during puja?+
Sitting on a mat or aasan on the floor is traditionally believed to keep the worshipper grounded and steady during mantra chanting, and reflects humility before the deity. As per tradition, it is a matter of respect and focus rather than a strict rule for everyone.
Is it necessary to sit on the floor for every meal?+
No, it is a tradition rather than a strict rule, and many families today use tables for daily convenience while still choosing floor seating for festivals, weddings and special occasions.
What is a puja aasan made of?+
A puja aasan is commonly made of cotton cloth, wool or kusha grass, and different materials are traditionally preferred for different kinds of worship or japa.
About the author
Pandit Mahesh Trivedi · Festival Traditions & Panchang
Pandit Mahesh leads the festival-date and Panchang content on Vandnaa. He cross-references multiple regional panchangs (Drik, Vaishnava, Bengali, Marathi) for every festival date published on the site.
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