In the sacred tradition, the worship of Shiva begins with careful preparation of offerings and ritual materials. Gems, silver, gold, fragrant substances, flowers, rice grains, fruits, young shoots, and blades of darbha grass are gathered as the various sacred items required for the ceremony. Into the water meant for bathing and especially the drinking water, cool and pleasing things like flowers are placed to refresh and sanctify. For the water used to wash the feet, vetiver and sandalwood are prepared, along with jasmine, kola, camphor, bahumūla, and tamāla, infusing the ritual with their fragrance and purity. In the vessel for sipping water, especially after grinding, cardamom, camphor, and sandalwood are added to all the vessels, ensuring every element is pleasing and auspicious. The vessel for offering is filled with blades of kuśa grass, rice grains, barley, sesame seeds, clarified butter, mustard seeds, flowers, and ashes, each symbolizing purity and devotion. For sprinkling, kuśa flowers, barley, bahumūla, tamāla, and ashes are placed in proper order, maintaining the sanctity of the ritual. At every stage, the mantra is set in place, wrapped externally with protective armor, then shielded with a weapon, and the gesture of the cow is displayed, signifying nourishment and auspiciousness. All worship materials are sprinkled with water from the sprinkling vessel, purified with the root mantra, and the rites are performed with precision. If only one sprinkling vessel is available, the most skilled practitioner prepares the offering water with it, following custom. Then, Vināyaka, the remover of obstacles, is worshipped with food and offerings in proper order at the southern side of the entrance, ensuring the path to the divine is clear. Next, Nandī, the lord of the inner chamber, is worshipped. Adorned with all ornaments, he shines like a golden mountain. Gentle and crowned with the crescent moon, Nandī has three eyes and four arms, holding a glowing trident, a deer, a sharp rod, and ruling as master. His face is radiant, like the moon’s disk or Hari’s visage. At the northern side of the entrance, his wife—the daughter of the winds—is worshipped, her presence as gentle as the breeze. The virtuous mother, Suyaśā, devoted to vows and intent on adorning the feet, is worshipped next. Only then does the practitioner enter the inner chamber of the Supreme Lord. Having worshipped the liṅga with these sacred substances, the used offerings are removed, the liṅga is washed, and a flower is placed upon its head for purification. Holding the flower, the mantra is recited with power for its purification, and Caṇḍa is worshipped in the northeast, with the used offerings taken away. The practitioner then arranges the seat and its supports in due order, meditating below the earth on the auspicious, dark-hued support-power. In front of her, the endless, coiled form is visualized—white, with five hoods, licking as if the sky. Above her is the auspicious seat, four-footed like a wooden stool, with supports representing dharma, knowledge, detachment, and sovereignty, each colored white, red, yellow, and dark, corresponding to the directions from the southeast. Unrighteousness and its companions are placed from east to north, and the limbs are imagined as kingly jewels. Above this, the pure white lotus seat forms the covering. This lotus is said to have eight petals, representing the eight powers beginning with aṇimā. The filaments, starting from the left, are the Rudra and leftward energies, and the seeds within are those energies up to Unmanī. The inner receptacle is supreme detachment, the stalk is knowledge, of the nature of Śiva, and the bulb, whose nature is Śiva and dharma, sits at the end of the inner receptacle in three circles. Above these, the three principles—self and so on—form the seat. Above all seats, a comfortable seat is arranged, spread with various coverings, shining with pure knowledge, fit for the divine. The invocation, establishment, containment, and gazing are performed, along with salutations and distinct gestures. Water for the feet, sipping water, offerings, fragrance, and flowers are presented, followed by incense, a lamp, and betel. Afterwards, Śiva is put to rest. Alternatively, having arranged the seat and image, made complete with the root and other Brahmā mantras, Śiva is invoked—the supreme cause—with the goddess. The god, unmoving and imperishable, shines like pure crystal, the cause and essence of all worlds. He is seen effortlessly by devotees, the imperishable Lord, yet remains beyond the reach of gods like Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu, and Rudra. The wise know him as the essence of the gods, yet he is said to be beyond perception, without beginning, middle, or end, the remedy for those afflicted by worldly existence. This is the principle of Shiva, the enduring purpose of Shiva in the world. The supreme liṅga is worshipped with fivefold offerings and devotion, for the liṅga is the form of the great Lord, Shiva, the supreme Self. During the bathing, auspicious rites begin with the sound of victory. The liṅga is bathed with the five products of the cow—ghee, milk, curd, honey, and so on—along with roots, fruit essences, sesame, mustard, and flour preparations. Wholesome seeds like barley and powders from black gram and others are used, and the liṅga is anointed with pastes and then bathed with warm water. Bilva leaves and similar items are used to rub away any residue of ointments and fragrances, and the liṅga is bathed again with water, proceeding as befits a king. Fragrant amalaki and turmeric are offered in due order, and after purification with water, the liṅga or image is bathed with fragrant water, water containing kuśa grass and flowers, and water infused with gold and jewels, empowered by mantras, following the proper sequence. If the required substances are not available, then whatever is obtainable—or even water alone, empowered by mantras—is used to bathe Shiva, always with faith and devotion.