Upacharas for Devata Arachana

Upacharas are the steps to worship any Deity.

Most common is Pancha-Upchara-Pooja (5 Steps) , Shodasa-Upchara-Pooja (16 Steps) and Chatush-Shassti-Upchara-Pooja (64 Steps). Details are briefly given here.. For more information please talk to our Guruvu Garu

Upachara refers to  the respectful offerings and services rendered to a deity during a pooja , treating them as a honored guest /Diety of your choice.

Items required for Pooja.

Sr.No	Item’s Required
	Take bath and wear cleaned clothes without doing another task go to place performing pooja
1	A clean place to do pooja
2	A picture frame/vigraham of Diety of your choice.
3	A stool to place Diety of your choice.
4	A cloth to cover the stool
5	1 set (2 no of lamps(Silver/Brass/Clay)
6	Cotton Wicks
7	Sesame Oil/Cow ghee
8	Incense sticks
9	Incense sticks stand
10	Matchbox
11	Camphor
12	Neerajanam Stand
13	Big Bell
14	Akshatas( Mixed with Turmeric & A drop of Ghee)
15	Flowers
16	Sandalwood (need to be mived with water)
17	Turmeric
18	Kum Kum
19	Kalasam
20	Panchapatra(For personal use) along with spoon(Silver/Copper)
21	Kalasam (For God Water)(Silver/Copper)
22	An extra Bowl to save teertham
23	Water for pooja
24	Prasadam plate (offered in Silver/Brass Plate)
25	Prasadam (Cooked fresh/Fruits/Dry Nuts/Dates)

Steps of Doing Pooja

S.No	Steps
1	Shuchi
2	Deeparadhana
3	Aasanam Pooja (for self)
4	Aachamanam
5	Bhoota – Suddhi
6	Pranayamam
7	Sarva devta Prarthana
8	Sankalpam
9	Kalasharadhana (Water for deities)
10	Ghanta Pooja
11	Sri Maha Ganapathi Pooja (for other Poojas)

Pancha (5) Upachara Pooja

S.No	Upacharam	Item to be offered	How to offer	Hand Gesture
1	Gandham (Sandal wood Poder/Paste)	Apply Sandalwood paste and then apply kumkum	OM____ Devyai Namha. Gandham Samarpayami	Touch the little finger with thumb
2	Pushpam	Flower	OM____ Devyai Namha. Pushpam Samarpayami	Touch the thumb with Index finger
3	Dhupam	Inscene sticks	OM____ Devyai Namha. Dhupam Aghrapayamai, Samarpayami	Touch the Index finger with thumb
4	Deepam	Light	OM____ Devyai Namha. Deepam Sandarshayami Samarpayami	Touch the middle finger with thumb
5	Naivedyam	Prasadam	OM____ Devyai Namha. Naivedyam Nivedayami Samarpayami	Touch the Ring finger with thumb
			OM ____ Devyai Namha. Samastopacharan Samarpayami

Shodasha (16) Upachara Pooja

S.No	Upacharam	Action/Item to be offered	Comments
1	Aavahnam	Offer Akshatas	OM ______Devyai Namha. Aavahanam Samarpayami
2	Aasanam	Offer Akshatas	OM ______Devyai Namha. Navaratna Divya Simhasanam Samarpayami
3	Padyam	Offer water to clean feet	OM ______Devyai Namha. Paadayoof Padyam Samarpayami
4	Arghyam	Offer water	OM ______Devyai Namha. Haastayyor Arghyam Samarpayami
5	Achamanam	Offer water	OM ______Devyai Namha. Mukhe Achamaneeyam Samarpayami
6	Snanam	Offer water	OM ______Devyai Namha. Snanam Samarpayami
7	Vastram	Offer Clothes /Akshatas	OM ______Devyai Namha. Vastram Samarpayami
8	Yagnopavitam	Offer Yagnopavitam/Akshatas	OM ______Devyai Namha. Yagnopavitam Samarpayami
9	Gandhm & Kumkuma	Offer Sandalwood/ Kumkuma	OM ______Devyai Namha. Divyashree Gandham Samarpayami, Kumkumam Samarpayami
10	Pushpam	Offer Flowers (Wih Astotram/Shasrama)	OM ______Devyai Namha. Pushpam Samarpayami
11	Dhupam	Offer Inscene sticks	OM ______Devyai Namha. Dhupam Aghrapayamai,Samarpayami
12	Deepam	Offer deepam	OM ______Devyai Namha. Deepam Darshayami Samarpayami
13	Naivedyam	Offer Prasadam	OM ______Devyai Namha. Naivedyam Nivedayami Samarpayami
14	Tambulam	Offer beetle leaves and Bettle nut	OM ______Devyai Namha. Tambulam Samarpayami
15	Neerajanam & Pradakshina	Offer Camphor/Deepa aarti	OM ______Devyai Namha. Neerajanam Samarpayami
16	Namaskaram & Udvasana	Offer flowers along with Akshatas	OM ______Devyai Namha. Prarthana Poorvaka Namaskaram Samarpayami

Catuṣṣaṣṭi (64) Upachara Pooja

S. No	Upacharam	Action/Item to be offered	Comments
1	Paadyam	Offering water to deity
2	Arghyam	Offering a seat with mat
3	Aasanam	Offering a seat with mat
4	Tailaabhyangam	Perfumed oils/powders
5	Majjanashaalaapravesah	To take her to the bathing place
6	Peetopavesanam	To making her sit on the bathing place
7	Divyasnaaneeyam	Celestial bath
8	Urdhvarthanam	Offering herbal powder to deity
9	Ushnodakasnanam	To bath her with hot water
10	Teethabhishekam	Ceremonial ritual of bath with sacred water
11	Dhowtavastraparimaarjanam	To wipe her with a dry towel
12	Arunadukoolaadharana	To offer red silk saree or cloth
13	Arunoothareeyadharana	To offer red silk blouse or clothe to cover devi
14	Aleypamandapapravesam	To take devi to room filled with frangrances
15	Peetopavesanam	To make devi to sit in the fragrance filled room.
16	Chandanaadi Divyagandhaanulepanam	Applying different kinds of perfume /frangrance sandal
17	Naanaavidhapushpaarpanam	Offering Different types of flowers
18	Bhooshanamandapapravesam	Making room/mandapam to devi made of ratnas
19	Bhooshnamanipeetopavesanam	Making devi to sit on a peetha/chair made of ratnas
20	Navaratnamukutadharana	Offering 9 gem stones of crown
21	Chandrashakalam	ornament like the 3rd phase of moon from amavasya
22	Seemantadindooram	red sindooram(papita-central part of head before forehead)
23	Tilakaratnam	Offering tilakam on her forhead
24	Kaalanjanam	Make her eyes beautiful(kajal)
25	Karapaalee	Offering ornament for both ears
26	Naasabharanam	Ornament for nose
27	Adharayaavakam	Offering red/pink colour for her lips
28	Grathanabhooshanam	Devi mangalsutram
29	Kanakachitrapadakam	Gold Necklace
30	Mahaapadakam	Huge or big ornament
31	Muktaavali	3 rows of pearl necklace
32	Yekaavali	Necklace made of 27 pearls
33	Devachhadakam	Type of ornament made of specific number of strings
34	Keyoorachatushtayam	Ornament worn on biceps of all 4 hands of devi
35	Valayaavali	Offering full set of bangels
36	Oormikaavali	Offering ring for the finger
37	Kaacheedaasakatisootram	Ornamant worn around the waist
38	Shoobhaakhyaabharanam	Ornament like a leaf of ashoka tree
39	Paadakatakam	Ornament worn on the stump of the leg
40	Ratnanoopuram	Anklets
41	Paanguleekayam,Hastaanguleeyakam	Ornamnet worn in leg fingers(Mettallu)Rings for hands
42	Ankusham	A hooked instrument like elephant goad in upper left hand
43	Paasham	Rope in upper right hand
44	Pudreekshuchaapam	Bow made of sugarcane
45	PushpabaanaDharam	Arrows made up of flowers in bottom right hand
46	Maanikyapaaduka	Shoes made of red glittering stones
47	Simhaasanaaroohanam	Offering golden throne to deity
48	Paryankoopaveeshanam	Sitting in a kind of yoga pose
49	Amruthaasavaseevanam	Offering honey
50	Aachamaneeyam	Offering water service to deity
51	Karpooravatikaa	Offering bettel leaves
52	Anandoollasavilaasahaasam	The joyous play of the waves of bliss
53	Mangalaartikam	Waving of lamps
54	Shwethachhatra	Offering /Wearing umbrella over her head
55	Chaamaradwayam	Ritual fan made of yak tail
56	Darpanam	Showing Mirror to devi
57	Taalavruntam	Offering fan made from a palm leaf
58	Gandham	Sandal powder
59	Pushpam	Offer Flowers
60	Dhoopam	Offering incense
61	Deepam	Diya/Light
62	Naivedyam	Offering food and water
63	Aachamanam	Offering water to wash mouth
64	Punarachamanam (Tambulam,Vandanam)	Offering tambulam and namskaram