(A) Required paraphernalia:

Make sure the following items are present on the altar table.
1) a small bell on a plate;

2) a païca-pätra containing samänya-arghya water;

3) a covered kalaça with water

4) a blowing conchshell on stand.

A receptacle to catch the water from rinsing the conch (just outside the Deity room in the temple hall or side room)

A clock easily visible for pujari.

(In addition for full Äraté 🙂

1.a small lamp (eka-dipa) for lighting incense sticks & ghee lamps
2.a camphor lamp with one ghee wick (for raja-bhoga arati);
3.a ghee lamp with five wicks (on Sunday feast and festival days, you may use ghee lamp with 15 no. of wicks);
4.an arghya conch for arghya water, with a stand;
5.a water pot, filled with samänya –arghya water (this is for the arghya water to be offered in the conch);
6.a small visarjanéya-pätra (throw out container) for the offered arghya;
7.a handkerchief (cotton or silk);
8.flowers on a plate;
9.a cämara;
10.a peacock fan (only in warm weather);

(For dhüpa-äraté )

1.an incense holder with odd number (3) of sticks ;
2.flowers on a plate;
3.a cämara;
4.a peacock fan (only in warm weather);

(B) Preliminary Activities for Äraté :

After cleaning the place where the Äraté paraphernalia will be set up, bring the tray with paraphernalia and place them in the order of offering.
1.pujari can light small ghee lamp for lighting the incense sticks and ghee lamps.

2.Prior to blowing the conchshell pujari should light the incense sticks.

3.Come to the asana from where the arati is to be performed. Purify the hands. Do NOT slide the Asana with the feet.

(C) Requesting the Lord to Accept the Äraté :

Pujari should purify the hands first and then conchshell by sprinkling acamana water and blow three times and then again purify the conchshell and place it over the stand horizontally.

Pujari should purify hands and then the bell by sprinkling acamana water and then ringing bell in left hand, pujari should open the curtain fully.

(D) Purifying the Upacaras:
Before offering each upacaras, purify both your right hand and the upacaras by sprinkling them with 3 drops of water from panca-patra. Take the spoon in your right hand and then sprinkle water on the upacaras directly from the spoon.

(E) Offering Procedure:

1) While standing on an asana and ringing a bell, present the incense first to your spiritual master by waving it in three graceful circles, and then show it in one cricle to param guru seeking their permission for performing the service.
No separate arati is to be offered to Sri Vijay murtis. While offering the arati to big deities of Çrématé Rädhäräëé and Sri Vrindavancandra, the small Deity is also to be offered the arati simultaneously.
Arati paraphernalia should be offered gracefully, in a meditative mood. But do not be either too slow or too fast, and do not perform it in a showy manner, but as a humble servant of your spiritual master and the assembled Vaisnavas—stand to the left of the altar (as viewed from the temple room)–not hidden entirely from the view but also not distracting by your presence.Offered items should not be mixed with unoffered items. You should not place offered items back on the plate that was used to bring in the paraphernalia.

(F) How to Offer Each Item:
Offer all items, except the camara and fan, by moving them in clockwise circles while ringing a bell with your left hand (above waist level), fixing your attention on the Deities.

1) Incense: Offer seven circles around the whole body of the Lord. Chant the Upacara mantra:
esa dhupah and the müla-mantra for each Deity.

2) Camphor: (Only for raja-bhoga aratl) Same as ghee lamp. Chant the Upacara mantra:
esa dipah and the müla-mantra for each Deity.

3) Ghee lamps: Offer 4 circles at the lotus feet, 2 circles at the lotus navel, 3 circles around the face and 7 circles around the whole body. Chant the Upacara mantra:
eña dipah and the mula-mantra for each Deity.

4) Arghya in a conch: Offer three circles above Lord’s head and seven circles to whole body of the Lord. Then pour a small amount of the offered arghya into the visarjaniya-patra (small throw-out pot) before proceeding to offer arghya to the next personality. {Arati arghya: plain or scented samanya arghya water). Chant the Upacara mantras:
idam arghyam and the mula-mantra for each Deity.

5) Cloth: Offer seven times around the Lord’s body. Chant the Upacara mantra:
idam vastram and the mula-mantra for each Deity.

6) Flowers: Offer seven times around the Lord’s body. Chant the Upacara mantra:
Etani puspani and the mula-mantra for each Deity. (idam puspam,if offering single lower)

7) Camara: Wave before the Lord a suitable number of times. Try to gauge the time for offering each upacara so that you can offer the camara and fan gracefully a moderate number of times before concluding the aräti .Chant the Upacara mantra:
esa camara-seva and the mula-mantra for each Deity.
CAMARA should not TOUCH the FEET or FLOOR while being offered to Lord.

8) Fan: Wave before the Lord a suitable number of times. Chant the Upacara mantra:
esa vyajana-seva and the mula-mantra for each Deity.
FAN should not TOUCH the FEET or FLOOR while being offered to Lord.

9) You may give the lamp(s) to the assembled devotees immediately after offering to the Deities.

Note:
Incense, arghya, cloth and flowers could be offered with fewer circles if time is short. The main item of the arati ceremony is the lamp for which sastra gives specific number of circles. In general, the exact number of circles for offering a given item is not considered critical.
For Guru Maharaja and installed Deities, full aräti has to be performed.
Lord Nrsimhadev, Pancatattva and Tulasé, three circles of aräti are offered around the whole body.
For the assembled Vaisnavas (in temple hall), three circles of aräti are offered around the whole body.

(G) Completing the Arati:
Full arätis, including fanning and blowing of the conch before and after the aräti, may last up to twenty-five minutes. The duration of short arätis (in which incense, flowers, camara and fan are offered) is ten minutes.
After completing the aräti, blow the conch three times, as at the beginning of the aräti. Then distribute the arghya to the assembled devotees. Then offer premadhvani mantras if the kirtan leader or another devotee in the temple does not chant them.
Next remove the aräti paraphernalia from the Deity room, clean the area and articles and at last offer dandavat-prandmas (prostrated obeisance’s) outside the Deity room.
Conch is rinsed in a pot outside the Altar.
After all arätis, the photograph of the spiritual master is kept on the platform by the side of the altar.
Note:

(A) Mangala-arati (At 4.30 AM):
For 25 minutes, even if the kirtan is extended.
When Sri Nrsimhadev prayers starts, at that time pujari should give out the sprinkling water in the pot.
After Mangala-arati, during the Nrsimha prayers, offer scented cotton on flower towards nose to smell to each Deity and then offer seven times to the body of the Lord. (Chant idam Sugandha tailam and mula-mantra).
Srimati Tulasi-devi is given outside.
Pujari should clean the altar.
After book distribution score reading is over, at that time doors are closed.
Only the tube lights inside the altar are put on during Mangala- aräti.

(B)Darsana-arati (at 7.30 AM):

Before opening the curtains for darsana-arati, clear away all unnecessary paraphernalia, sweep the floor around the altar. Offer their Lordships a mirror so they may view themselves, chanting esa darpan & Rädhä Krsna müla-mantra, and similarly go in descending order. At the same time, you should check carefully that everything is in its proper place, and that nothing inappropriate (such as a pin cushion) is left on the altar.
Before opening curtain, put on all lights.
Big mirror and camara and spray bottle should be kept inside.
Open the outside doors in such a way that the curtain is not stretched.)
Light the incense sticks.
One assistant pujari should show mirror, and then offer scent.
Conch is not blown till GOVINDAM ADI PURUSAM is completed.
One should offer water glasses to all Deities before curtain opens.

(C) Mangal- bhoga arati (at 08.30 AM):

Srila Prabhupada CD/DVD is started before curtain is opened.
Perform for ten minutes.
After the aräti is completed big Halogens and focus are put off. Only spot lights and tube lights are kept on.

(D) Raja-Bhoga Aräti (at 12.30 PM):

1) Only four small pieces of camphor are used, in small lamp. It is immediately offered and not given outside to the viewers.

2) 15 wicks ghee lamp is used on Festival day. It is given outside with proper cover to proper devotee who knows how to give it to everyone. Standing big fans are put off.

3) If you are keeping the ghee lamp or camphor lamp in the Deity room, keep it in such a way that it will not burn anything or make things black. Do not keep on the wooden platform. Keep on the marble platform.

3) Lasts for 25 minutes.

(E) Vaikalika Bhoga aräti (at 4.30 PM):
same as mangal-bhoga aräti at 8:30 AM.

(F) Sandhya Arati (at 7.00 PM)
For 25 minutes.
Note: Praëäma is the concluding activity of puja. Praëäma is generally done after all activities like cleaning the altar is done. It is done outside the altar. While worshipping the Deities outside the altar in the Deity room, please offer dandavats little far away from the Deities
* After all the arätis, the altar room should be thoroughly broomed and cleaned. The D shaped platform outside the altar should also be properly cleaned after every Arti.