Special Shodasho Upchara Puja vidhi at Home

Special Shodasho Upchara  Puja vidhi at Home

Shodasho Upchara  Puja vidhi at Home is a special treatment of  worshiping the deity or any God in  sixteen steps. 

16 steps are given below.

1. Avahan – inviting the deity.
2. Aasan -  Offering the seat. Place 5 flowers or Akshata under the seat of the deity
3. Padh snanam – Dip flowers in water and sprinkle that water on the feet of the deity.
4. Aaradhya – Offer Ganga Jal or water to the deity. 
5. Aachman – Offerin water to the deity to rinse its mouth, cloves or cardamon are added to the water.
6. Snanm – Bathing the deity. This is also done by keeping the deity is a Puja Thali and bathing it with Panchamrit and the cleaning it with water. Panchamrit is a mixture of curd, honey, milk, jaggery and ghee.
7. Vastra arpan – Offering or putting clothes on the deity.
8. Upaastra – This is the step of offering the sacred thread or Juneau also called as Upvastra.
9. Gandham – Worshiping the deity with Vermilion, Akshata, Chandana and similar items. Only Whit colored Akshata or Sabut Rice Grains are offered to Lord Shiva, for other deities, the Akshata are normally mixed with Kumkum. Akshatas are never offered to a Shaligram.
10. Pushpa – Offering flowers to the deity. The variety of flowers often depends on which flower is dear to the deity.  red colored flowers and drubha are usually offered to Lord Ganesha.
11. Dhoop- lighting incense before the deity.
12. Deep – lighting an Oil or Cow Ghee Diya or Lamp before the deity.
13. Naivedya- The step of offering food, fruits, sweets etc. to the deity.
14. Pradakshina – Clockwise Parikrama of the deity. 
15. Namaskar – Praying to the deity.
16. pushpanjali – Chanting of Mantras and offering flowers to the deity.