Hare Krishna,
I want to start doing aarti at home but I confused that what aarti should I do ? And how to do it ? As in our local temple group we already sing all the morning prayers at 5:30 AM and I also join them.
Also I want to know what items should I offer and in which sequence? I usually do small aarti before leaving from my home in morning I sing Mahamantra and offer incense, flowers and then bhoga. Is it right way ?
Hare Krishna.
Replies
Hare Krishna Meenakshi mataji,
If you are used to already singing all the morning prayers sung in the temple. You can follow the same things at home too.
Sequence of offerings are- 1. clean the pooja room. 2. put rangoli in front of the temple. 3. collect some flowers and Tulasi Manjari Leaves and arrange in the plate. 4. Keep some agarbatti and match stick ready 5. some camphor ready in a thaali ( plate).
5. whatever bhoga items you made or any fruit or water keep ready 6. Wash the diyas' and keep them in a plate.
Now wake up the Lord. Don't open the door of the temple room immediately. Say.. Utthishtotthistha govinda Utthisthta Garuda dwaja. Utthishta Kamala kanta... trilokiyam mangalamkuru. Clap 2 times and open the doors.
Remove the dried up flowers in the altar and clean the space.
If you are interested in doing Snan or abhisheka for deity... Take a small dry cloth and some warm water and give Lord a warm bath. Give Lord a warm towel masaage... Apply Chandan paste to the Body of Lord and also some attar...
Put on His new clothes Arrange all the jewellry... and make and do Shringaar properly.
Now Lord is tired..( If He is laddu gopal ji, if He is standing Krishna form still you know this is all is once own bhava whatever you feel that time)
Okay now you need to Immediately give him some water and some fanning and some small sweet.
or small glass of warm milk
Now continue flower offering and floral decoation for the Temple doors. While Lord is having a small breakfast like bhoga.. Tell.. Lord I am going to get you full meal while you rest and have this small breakfast.
okay Kanniah? Do some Chamara ( fanning)
And meanwhile Do Doop ( Incense) and Deepa ( diya offering). and Aarti and ghanti ( bells) ..
Now Bhoga which you made you get that and offer Lord and Place a Tulasi leaf and offer Lord.
Now sing Whatever slokas you know while Lord is having Bhoga.
Try to close the curtain when Lord is having bhoga and sit there and sing mahamantra or whatever pranava mantras and guru mantras all whatever you know.
Now open the curtain..
Give Lord a kerchief and wipe his mouth. and offer a glass of water.
Deity seva is big process and not all have time to do all this ritualistically everyday. As many of us are working and have to leave home in the morning.
We can cut it all short .. to whatever you said.. Offer incense, flower and bhoga and sing mahamantra --more than enough.
As mahamantra will complete every ritual.
In kaliyuga we don't have so much time nor have so much bhava.
We do it so ritualistically like machine.
Even our bhakti is busy busy. For us only LORD gave us only one mantra that can suffice everything that is just simply singing Mahamantra .. covers it all up.
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Thank you so much mataji
small mistake in that AArti should come after offering bhoga naivedya.