There are numerous ways in which a Hindu worships God. For some Hindus lighting a lamp or simple mediation is the way to communicate with the Supreme Being. For some Hindus, it is chanting mantras and doing elaborate puja to a personal deity. Hindu scriptures define numerous steps that are part of a Hindu Puja. Normally, only sixteen Upacharas are followed and it is known as Shodashopachara Puja. Some Hindus limit it to five steps of worship and it is known as Panchopachara.
Here are the Sixteen Upacharas:
- Seating of the deity
- Welcoming of the deity
- Offering water to wash the feet
- Offering water to wash the hands
- Offering water to sip and rinse the mouth
- Providing a bath
- Offering fresh clothes and decorations
- Offering fresh sacred thread
- Offering aromatic substance like sandal paste etc
- Offering of flowers
- Burning incense
- Waving lights
- Offering food
- Offering betel leaves, betel nuts, camphor etc
- Prostrations before the deity and circumambulations
- Sending off
6 comments:
Thanks for exlaining the 16 steps.I am looking for the mantras associated with each step. Can you tell me where I can find them?
U will find the elaborate steps with mantras in the books like Durga saptashati to do a complete Pooja of Maa Durga....u can check probably www.sanatandharma.org
I am keeping fast for sankashti from couple of months. I want to discontinue so I wanted to know some information. After how many fasting I can discontinue and what ritual I should do to discontinue. Please please help me...Thank you so much...
If you have difficulty in performing Sankashti fast...you can discontinue it at any time. Instead you can offer prayers to Lord Ganesha on all Tuesdays.
Thanks this is good.If possible post the mudras also (special postures of hand) which are needed to do these,I do not have a book which describes the mudras but the 16th step is an important one if possible post a detailed method.You can buy a book from Thakur Prasad publications,Shiv Datta Sharma or Veni Ram Sharma are authors.
Lord Ganesh should be worshipped specially on Wednesday because Lord Ganesh is the Lord of Knowledge(Buddhi). If you have difficulty in following Shodshopchara puja, you can do the puja by Panchopchara.
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