षोडशोपचार
Literal Meaning
Sixteen offerings
Etymology & Sanskrit Root
Sanskrit 'shodasha' (sixteen) + 'upachara' (service, offering): the traditional sixteen-step sequence of formal deity worship.
Spiritual Insight & Context
From inviting the deity's presence through bathing, dressing, offering flowers, incense, light and food, to the final farewell, Shodashopachara supplies the template most elaborate Hindu pujas still follow today.