The primary purpose of most Hindu ritual is to bring balance and welfare to the family. Indian society is focused on the home, and the heart of every Hindu home is its shrine: the sacred space delineated for honoring and worshipping the Gods. . . . The pujas [prayers, songs, or rituals] that take place in the household shrine are the foundation of all family actions and decisions — everything begins and ends there.
— Stephen P. Huyler, Meeting God