Preparation

Sit on the floor, cross legged (preferably in the Padmasan (lotus posture) on a clean cloth or mat, facing the most auspicious directions, North or East. Find a quiet location, where you can sit and perform your Pooja to the Lord without any distractions.

Tilak - Chandlo

Male Devotees

Male devotees should apply the tilak and chandlo on their forehead (to keep thoughts pure).

Male devotees should also apply a tilak and chandlo using chandan on their chest (to keep the heart pure) and to the upper arms (to give strength and keep actions moral).

Female Devotees

Female devotees should only apply a chandlo on their foreheads. Widows should not apply any mark.

Praatahakaar Mansi Pooja

Close your eyes and meditate on the beautiful Murti of our beloved Lord Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa.

Layout Pooja

Carefully place the Murtis on a clean cloth in front of you. Place naivedya, a small cup filled with dry fruits or sugar, before the Murtis as an offering.

Female Devotees

Female devotees who offer naivedya during their daily Pooja should give their Pooja to someone else to perform during their four days of menstruation.

Female devotees who do not offer naivadya during their daily Pooja should refrain from performing Pooja during this four-day period. Both of these variations in Pooja are valid for female devotees.

Aavahaan Mantra

With your hands joined, recite the Aavahaan Mantra to invite the Lord to come and accept your Pooja.

Accepting your prayer, the Lord has come to fulfil your spiritual desires. He gives darshan dressed in the same divine clothing as He did at the end of your Mansi Pooja.

With such sentiments, you must bow down to Him with your hands joined.

Mara

Whilst concentrating only on the Lord's Murti, you must recite the Swaminarayan mantra whilst turning a rosary (mara).

The Supreme Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa Mahamantra should be chanted whilst turning each bead.

At least three such maras should be completed whilst seated.

Tap ni Mara

Male devotees

Male devotees should then stand up and perform at least one mara in the tap (penance) posture.

Stand on your left leg, with your right ankle in front of your left knee. Raise both arms in the air.

At least one mara should be completed during tap.

Female devotees

Female devotees need not perform this tap.

Pradikshina

Perform Pradikshina (encircling the Lord in a clockwise direction) whilst performing mara.

At least one mara should be completed during Pradikshina.

Whilst performing Pradikshina at least one kirtan should be sung.

Sashtang-dandvat-pranam - Male Devotees

Male devotees should repeatedly perform the eight fold prostrations (Sashtang-dandvat-pranam) before the Lord. You must lay down flat in front of the Lord with your arms stretched out. Your head, chest, hands, knees and legs should be touching the ground. You must focus your eyes so that you visualise the Murti of the Lord. With your speech, you must only utter prayers to the Lord. With your mind, you must only contemplate about the Lord.

In this manner, you are humbly offering these eight parts of your body to the Lord. At least five such prostrations should be completed.

Panchang-pranam - Femail Devotees

Female devotees should perform the five-fold prostration (Panchang-pranam).

You should crouch on the floor with your hands joined in front of you placed on the ground, on the palu of your sari or the end of the salwar kameez chooni.

In this manner, your hands and feet will be placed before the Lord. You must focus your eyes on the Murti of the Lord and with your speech, offer prayers to Him. Your mind should contemplate only about the Murti of the Lord.

You must start and finish the prostration with the head, nose, hands, knees and feet, touching the ground, representing your servant-hood to the Lord.

Thaar

Sit down again and offer the naivedya to the Lord. Sing the kirtan ' Jhamo Thaar Jeevan Jaavu Vaari '.

If you are unable to attend one of the aartis at Mandir during the day, you should take this opportunity to perform aarti to the Lord.

Pray to the Lord to protect and look after you during the day.

Visarjan Mantra

With your hands joined, recite the Visarjan Mantra to conclude the Pooja ceremony.

From the moment you chant the Aavahaan Mantra to when you have completed the Visarjan Mantra, the Lord is present before you. Therefore, during this period, you must never speak or signal to anyone, or become distracted from performing your Pooja.

Concluding your Pooja

After reciting the Visarjan Mantra, you may collect all the Murtis together and carefully wrap them in a cloth.

Return the Murtis to your Pooja box.

Shikshapatri

Read five Sloks from the Shikshapatri.

Read one chapter from the Vachanamrut and Shree Abji Bapashree ni Vato.

Go to the sinhasan in your home for darshan.

Bow down and pay your respects to your parents and elders in your home.