Hindus, are very much indulged about how we should worship our God. There a proper procedure to be followed while performing pooja, even at home. Yes, you read it right. Even at home,you should follow procedure to impress your God.
1. First, you will clean the worship place and idols. Then sprinkle some drops of water over the idols and around the place of puja. It is like bathing Gods. Puja is just a resemblance of your own lifestyle.
2. Before starting worship, you will light the oil lamp or deepam according to the Hindu customs. The lamps are generally made up of brass or panchaloha metal. Keep the lamps simple and small so that smoke will not occur. You may wash and clean them weekly or so to maintain them neat and clean.
3. Change the cotton vattulu (or wicks) daily morning and fill the lamp holder with oil up to 75% or like that so as to prevent from the spilling or overflowing of oil. Then light it with a match stick.
4. You may place two lamps on both sides of God. While placing so, one deepam will be placed towards the east (towards Sun) and the other one towards North (for God).
5. Wicks are generally lighted by combining two wicks into one which represents the full family or man- woman bondage. This brings harmony and happiness in the family.
6. After lighting lamps, you will chant the hymns or sloka of "Suklambaradharam" and then make the guru stuthi or paying respect to the tree of your gurus.
7. You may worship with flowers also.
8. After worship and prayers are over, you will light the incense sticks and show round your Gods.
9. Now, offerings of food and fruits are made to God by showing the food and fruit with your right hand towards Gods' mouth as if feeding Him.
10. The last thing to offer is the lighting of camphor and reciting arati lines or songs.
11. Those doing Gayatri mantra daily will first perform the Gayatri puja by standing before Sun and then start the daily puja.