Kuthuvilakku decoration images Navratri Friday Pooja

For Navaratri and Friday Pooja more emphasis is given to kuthu vilakku .  The decoration of the vilakku varies from family to family.  I share how it is being done in our family for the past many decades.

On Thursday, the kuthu vilakku is cleaned and washed thoroughly ( along with other lamps ).
It is tradition to place the kuthu vilakku on a plate so that excess oil if any is collected in it and the Pooja mandapam is not affected by oil.

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Sandal wood paste is mixed with rose water and applied on the five faces of the kuthu vilakku and also on the top.    Then turmeric powder and kumkum are applied over the sandal wood paste.

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Five wicks are placed on the five faces and then oil is filled.  Some have the tradition of filling oil and then placing the wicks.  What I follow is better because oil may stick to our fingers when we place the wicks after filling the oil.  The wicks are then dipped in the oil so that it easier for the oil to rise through the wick to the tip.
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Tie a small flower garland to the kuthuvilakku as shown in the picture.
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The kuthu vilakku is placed in the Pooja room or mandapam so that the top where kumkum is applied as shown in the photo below  faces east or west and there are two faces on its either side.

While on Fridays and for festivals like Navartri and Varalakshmi Vratham it is practice to light all  the five faces on other days we can light all the five sides or we should light minimum of two wicks that face east .  This is the tradition I follow
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When I light the lamps,  I recite the sloka 

Subham karothi kalyanam 
Aragoyam Dhana Sampadham
Shatru Buddhi Vinayasaya
Deepa Jyothir Namosthuthe

This roughly translates into I bow to the light from the lamp which gives all blessings, health, wealth, which destroys negative thoughts.