How to Celebrate the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival - Pooja Vidhi

The Lord Ganesha festival is celebrated by Hindus around the world as the birthday of Lord Ganesha, Lord Vinayaka, Ganesh ji, Ganpati ji.

All About the Ganesha Festival - Ganesh Chaturthi:

Ganesh Chaturthi also known as 'Ganpati Festival' 'Vinayak Chaturthi' or 'Vinayaka Chavithi' is celebrated between mid-August to mid-September all over the world and it is especially celebrated in the western India state of Maharashtra, this festival lasts for 10 days, ending on the day of 'Ananta Chaturdashi'. GANESH CHATURTHI 2014 will be celebrated on the 29th August, 2014 - Friday.

Festive seasons are starting soon and it is a tradition of specifically workship different Gods and Goddesses on this occasion. The Lord of the Lord Mahadev had suggested that Lord Ganesh will be the first god to be worshipped. Before a puja is started in any Hindu household the first puja is done of Lord Ganesh. Even in the India temples the first idol will always be of Lord Ganesha. Similarly the festive seasons in India start with the puja of Lord Ganesha. It is the first celebration in the year that leads to many more. We will now discuss how to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great devotion all over India. People bring home murtis (Idols) of Lord Ganesha and celebrate the festival by worshiping the Lord in a special way for a day and a half, 5 days, 7 days or 11 days depending on the family tradition and commitment of each individual.
On the last day of worship the idol is taken out in a colourful and musical procession to be immersed traditionally at a beach.

This is one of the most popular festivals in the Country. There are several reasons for this. Ganpati is after all a popular God. His blessings are invoked at most religious ceremonies as He is the one who can remove all obstacles to success. He is the giver of fortune and can help to avoid natural calamities.

Ganpati, the god of wisdom and the benevolent deity of the dynasty of Peshwas who ruled Maharashtra inculcating a special culture in the state. Ganpati is the herald of auspicious beginnings and is the beloved deity of all.

Wish you a Happy and a Blessed Ganesh Chaturthi 2014!

Ganpati Bappa Morya!!

Ganesh Chaturthi 2014 Date:

This year the date for Ganesh Chaturthi is 29th August 2014. We thought that a discussion on how the celebration should be will help you to prepare for the day even better. The festival is celebrated almost all over the country. However, in Maharashtra and Gujarat the festival is more common. Almost all households of these states celebrate this day.

You can keep the Ganesh idol for ten days maximum starting from 29th August 2014. Some people keep it for a day and a half. The minimum duration that you must keep the idol is one and a half day. Some people don’t know that the Ganesh Chaturthi is actually associated with Indian independence. It was started to unite the people of India. Lord Ganesha was selected for this purpose as most of the Indians worship him. It still does so interestingly.

Preparations For The Grand Celebration:

A life-like clay model of Lord Ganesha is made 2-3 months prior to the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. The size of this idol may vary from 3/4th of an inch to over 25 feet.

On the day of the festival, it is placed on raised platforms in homes or in elaborately decorated outdoor tents for people to view and pay their homage. The priest, usually clad in red silk dhoti and shawl, then invokes life into the idol amidst the chanting of mantras. This ritual is called 'pranapratishhtha'. After this the 'shhodashopachara' (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. Coconut, jaggery, 21 'modakas' (rice flour preparation), 21 'durva' (trefoil) blades and red flowers are offered. The idol is anointed with red unguent or sandal paste (rakta chandan). Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda and Ganapati Atharva Shirsha Upanishad, and Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted.

For 10 days, from Bhadrapad Shudh Chaturthi to the Ananta Chaturdashi, Ganesha is worshipped. On the 11th day, the image is taken through the streets in a procession accompanied with dancing, singing, to be immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of all man. All join in this final procession shouting "Ganapathi Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya" (O father Ganesha, come again early next year). After the final offering of coconuts, flowers and camphor is made, people carry the idol to the river to immerse it.

The whole community comes to worship Ganesha in beautifully done tents. These also serve as the venue for free medical checkup, blood donation camps, charity for the poor, dramatic performances, films, devotional songs, etc. during the days of the festival.

Pre Preparations For The Ganesh Pooja:

Now that you know what you know what preparations you must do well in advance we will move to the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. Most people prefer to get the idol of Ganesh a day before that is on the 28th August 2014, the Labh time is between 12:40 and 14:13 and the Amrit time is 14:13 and 15:46. Ganpati ji can also be brought home (Avahana or Welcome) during the Shubh time which is between 17:20 and 18:53. Please note these Timings are as per panchang of Mumbai, India. This would bring in good luck to your home. When you enter the house with the idol ensure that you say “ Ganapati bappa moriya”. You must tell a family member of yours to throw some rice on the idol as you enter the house. You must keep the idol in a clean place with the face covered.

On the 29th August 2014 the installation of the idol must be done. You can do it from 6:30 in the morning to 11:00 in the afternoon. Anytime is fine. These times are based on the panchang. When you do the Ganesh puja in the Madhyahana kaal as mentioned above it will bring good luck to you and your family. It will also ensure success to you. Before installing the Ganesha ensure that you place some rice on the spot. On top of the rice place a supari, haldi, kumkum abhil and Dakshina. Place the idol now and you are all set to start the puja.

On the Ganesh Chaturthi day, meditate on the stories connected with Lord Ganesha early in the morning, during the Brahmamuhurta period. Then, after taking a bath, go to the temple and do the prayers of Lord Ganesha. Offer Him some coconut and sweet pudding. Pray with faith and devotion that He may remove all the obstacles that you experience on the spiritual path. Worship Him at home, too. You can get the assistance of a pundit. Have an image of Lord Ganesha in your
house. Feel His Presence in it.

Don’t forget not to look at the moon on that day; remember that it behaved unbecomingly towards the Lord. This really means avoid the company of all those who have no faith in God, and who deride God, your Guru and religion, from this very day.

Take fresh spiritual resolves and pray to Lord Ganesha for inner spiritual strength to attain success in all your undertakings.

A Useful Checklist For Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations:

We will now take you through the things that you may need to do the Ganesh puja. This can be a good and useful checklist for all:

1. 5 paan (beetle) leaves for the kalash.
2. Seven suparis
3. Three coconut
4. A new paint brush so that you can clean the idol daily with it
5. Rice about a kg
6. For the decoration of the garland you can use whatever you wish to. However,  you must ensure that you have a garland and a new cloth that you can use to cover the idol when you are getting it home and keeping it before installation.
7. You will need a lot of fresh flowers.
8. You must get a red thread to tie in your hands before the puja starts.
9. Perfumed oil for the kalash.
10. A black thread that you must tie on the idol before you get it home and you must remove it after installing the idol.
11. Some banana leaves
12. Durva or grass with three ends
13. Lots of wicks for the diya. Get a lot of oil and ghee for the diya.
14. Modaks is a must for prasad. You can also get some other sweets.
15. Get a lot of fresh fruits for prasad.
16. You must plan in advance how you want the decoration to be. So please buy all that you will need in advance. Ensure that whatever you use is new and fresh.
17.  You must ensure that your cameras and your video camera are ready for the occasion.
18. Get a toran for the main door of the house. You must also get a toran for the table where the idol is kept. Toran is basically a long chain of flowers that is used for decoration.
19. For the puja you will also need a list of small items such a:
    1. Haldi or turmeric
    2. Pinjar
    3. Abhil
    4. Gulal
    5. Ashtagand
    6. Sindoor
    7. Camphor
    8. Dhoop
    9. Agarbatti
    10. Attar
    11. Shahad
    12. Sugar
    13. Akshata
    14. Foolwati
    15. Kapas
    16. Arkot
    17. Badam
    18. Khareek
    19. Chandan
    20. Gud or jaggery
    21. Arati plate and a bell
    22. You can also get a shankha to play for the Lord
    23. Rumaal
    24. Gaumutra
    25. Gangajal
    26. Matchbox
    27. You must ensure that you have enough paper plates and glasses for people coming home for the puja.
    28. If you are planning to put lights then do get it done before the main day.
    29. Inform your friends and family about the puja in advance.
    30. You can arrange for Bhajans being played during the time when Lord Ganesha is in your house.

Where to Buy Samagri?

You will get most of these items in any puja store. The house must be made clean before the puja. All the items that we have mentioned must be fresh. If you are a non vegetarian then you must ensure that all the non vegetarian items in your house are thrown off before the puja. At least one person of the house must be present in the house when the Lord Ganesha is placed in the house. All days when you have the idol in the house you must ensure that aarti is done in the morning and in the evening regularly.

The Akhand Diya – The Eternal Light:

There should be a diya that will be on as long as the idol is in the house. You must see to it that the Diya has enough ghee or oil. This is called the akhand diya. The food that you prepare in the house in these days should be free of garlic, onion and ginger.

The Visarjan of Lord Ganesha:

Before you take the Ganesh idol for visarjan you must ensure that you do an aarti. All the family members must be present for this aarti. You must offer Ganesha these five items before you take him out of the house. These are oil lamps, flowers, dhoop, franance and food. After the aarti one family member must move the idol an inch forward. This is to tell the Lord that he will be taken out of the house for visarjan. After ten minutes of doing this you must thank the Lord for coming to your house and blessing your house. Also ask for forgiveness if you have done any mistakes during the stay. Also do tell him to come again the next year.

Other Related Rituals:

After this do spray rice on the idol. Lift the idol and take him to all the parts of the house. All the rooms, kitchen, etc must be covered so that Lord can bless all parts of the house. Now place curd on the palm of the Lord. This is an old Hindu belief that a guest who has curd will return again. Now take a red cloth and pack gud and five types of grains in it. Now tie this cloth to the hand of Lord Ganesha. This will be his food for the return journey.

Take some water and sprinkle on the person who is going to do the visarjan. Loudly say

“Ganapati Bappa Moriya”

and leave the house. As soon as you step out of the house a family member must take a coconut around the idol three times and then break the same so that the visarjan goes smoothly. This coconut must not be distributed as prasad. Before the visarjan all garlands and decoration items must be removed. A final small aarti must be done. You must ensure that the idol faces the family members when it is taken to the water.

Remaining Items: What To Do?

All the items and the kalash that you used in the puja must be thrown into some water body the day after the visarjan. The coconut that was placed on the kalash should be kept in your house tied in a red cloth. This must be immersed the next year and the new coconut must be preserved.

If you do not plan to do the puja next year then you can throw this coconut too. Some people want to reuse the Ganesh idol. If you wish to do so keep it in the puja room and do not disturb it till next year. After you return home from the visarjan all family members must take a shower.

The money collected as Dakshina should be distributed to the poor people. The akhanda diya that we have mentioned can be on for the next ten days of the immersion. This is absolutely optional. We recommend that you let it burning till the next day of visarjan.

Finally…

May the blessings of Sri Ganesha be upon you all! May He remove all the obstacles that stand in your spiritual path! May He bestow on you all material prosperity as well as liberation!

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