Daily routine of a chaste woman

For a grhastha a qualified wife is an assistant in every respect for advancement in spiritual activities. It is the duty of the wife to take charge of household affairs and not to compete with the husband. A wife is meant to help, but she cannot help her husband unless he is completely equal to her in age, character and quality.

 Srila Prabhupada Purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 3.22.11

Daily Duties (dinacarya) of a chaste woman

 

Morning routine (4-9) 

First thing a wife must do in the morning, is to take bath, adorn fresh garments. 

Start sweeping and mopping. Traditionally people had mud flooring that cannot be mopped,  they used cow dung plaster everyday. 

Make rangoli. Decorate the entrance of the house with turmeric and kum kum. This is the place where Goddess Lakshmi devi resides, one must never step over it or stand or sit upon it. So we used to put haldi kum kum. To remind otherwise we would step upon it unknowingly. 

Clean the puja altar and kitchen stove and platform.  

Look at auspicious things such as a cow, Tulasi devi, Sun. 

Perform simple dhoopa arati and carry on cooking.

Offer bhoga. 

Morning routine. In between you can chant or hear lectures. 

Take some rest.

Afternoon (11-3) 

Make preparations for lunch bhoga.  

In between other things you can manage to do, washing clothes or drying the washed clothes.  

Traditionally people never wash their clothes, it's job of dhobi wala. Or duties of a sudra. If we need to wash clothes,  then we must take bath after that.  

Take some rest. (4-5) 

Evening routine: (6-8)

Offer fresh flowers,  Tulasi puja ,sandhya arati and Sing a bhajana. Read a verse from Bhagavatam or ask your husband to discuss. 

If having dinner,  you can make ahead preparations for that. 

If we want to be good housewife, we shouldn't travel much. Travel disturbs one’s sadhana. 

Some important teachings I learned from my Guru Mahārāja.