Dattatreya Puja

Dattatreya Puja is the worship of Lord Dattatreya, the son of Sage Atri and Anasuya, in whom the three deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are honoured together. He is revered as the Adi Guru, the first teacher, and is usually shown with three faces, accompanied by a cow and four dogs.

Devotion to Datta is especially strong in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with important centres at Ganagapur in Karnataka and Pithapuram in Andhra Pradesh. Thursdays, the day of the guru, and Datta Jayanti on Margashirsha Purnima are the most important days for his worship.

The vidhi usually includes Ganesh Pujan, invocation of the Lord, shodashopachara offerings, recitation of Datta stotras or chapters of the Guru Charitra, and aarti. Many families also perform a Guru Charitra parayana over seven days.

The Puranas describe Dattatreya as having learned from twenty four teachers found in nature, from the earth and the sky to the bee and the child. His story teaches that wisdom can be found everywhere by one who is willing to learn.

The cow at his side is often understood as the earth and dharma, and the four dogs as the four Vedas.