Rituals at the Temple and at home are given in the Vedas and Agamas. Hinduism prescribes several rituals for many occasions based on days, Stars and phase of the Moon. Every one needs to perform certain Karmas and rituals as part of their daily duties to the family, to the community, to animals, to ancestors and to God. They are called "Runa" and "Nithya Karma". At home, rituals are conducted for birth, stages of life, first feeding, starting of education, starting of religious study, for marriage and during pregnancy for the child. Funeral rituals and annual rites are conducted for the departed souls. Many other rituals are conducted based on star positions and New Moon days. The offerings are given in front of Fire or water in a temporarily prepared area in the house or in a community hall or river bank. Often the rituals are mixed with the Devotional styles of practice.

Vedic prayers are recited by priests and the person performing the service. Offerings [such as food, cloth, coconut, clarified butter, fruits] are put into Fire as a sacrifice offered to the celestial forces, called Devas, often mistaken by outsiders as "many gods". In addition to these rituals, devotional prayers are also conducted to various images of a personal God in any of His manifestations, called Ishta Devatha. It is believed that a person should get proper knowledge and training from a religious teacher or Guru before he or she can get the rights or "Adhikara" to perform these prayers. In these rituals, God in one of His forms is invited as a guest to the house, honored with a ceremonial bath and washing of feet. Then He is offered dress, sandal paste, jewelry and food and then prayers are recited in praise of him. In the Temples, the deity is ceremonially installed and these prayers are offered every day.