First, male devotees should apply a tilak, a ‘U’-shaped mark, of sandalwood paste on their foreheads and then imprint a chandlo, a round mark, of kumkum inside the tilak. All male devotees, young and old, whether they are students, employees, or businessmen, should imprint a tilak-chandlo on their foreheads. There are many benifits of wearing a tilak-chandlo. By applying a tilak-chandlo on our forehead, Shriji Maharaj and the satpurush will protect us from influences that lead us to act immorally. Applying a tilak-chandlo gives awareness that we should not act immorally. In addition, if students form a habit of applying the tilak-chandlo from early childhood, then they will get exceptional moral and spiritual strength. If one does not apply a tilak-chandlo, however, the mind becomes weak and one is tempted to act inappropriately. Because the tilak-chandlo influences our inclination to act morally, it represents dharma. Married women should apply only a round kumkum chandlo on their foreheads; whereas widows should not put on a tilak or chandlo. As far as possible the tilak and chandlo should be applied using sanctified sandalwood paste and kumkum offered to the Lord. The tilak and chandlo should be applied carefully so as to look decent.1 Then one should offer mansi puja. Mansi puja is a special form of meditation in which one pictures oneself serving God and his choicest devotee. This form of worship is scientifically proven to calm the mind. Before offering mansi puja, one should calm the mind by contemplating on one's atma, believing it as the manifest God-realized guru. Beholding Shriji Maharaj in one’s heart and while remembering the manifest Satpurush, mansi puja should be offered five times a day: 1. At dawn, one should entreat Maharaj to awake and visualize morning activities. 2. At about 11.00 am one should offer lunch with full devotion and request Maharaj to take afternoon rest. 3. At 4.00 pm, one should wake Maharaj up and offer fruits and other snacks. 4. At dusk offer arti and evening meal. 5. At night before going to sleep, offer prayers. Mansi puja should be offered with reverence and devotion and with the best offerings that can be imagined (Vachanamrut Gadhada III-23). Thereafter, one should offer worship to the murti of God that has been given by our guru. The murtis of Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj, Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj should be worshipped in puja (62). After reciting a mantra to invoke God in the murtis, one should chant the Swaminarayan mahamantra while turning a mala. Next, Kishore Satsang Pravesh
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