Ganesh Chaturthi Puja Method

Start your Ganesha Vandana in the morning by chanting the "Om" mantra. Light some incense, burn camphor, and set the space with lamps. Take a betel leaf, dab it with turmeric and kumkum, tie it to a thread, and place it near the lamp. At the beginning of the puja, tie a thread (known as Raksha Kabach) on each person participating in seating the deity. This helps to ensure the puja goes smoothly according to the set intentions.

Now, sit calmly in front of a Ganesha idol or picture. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and center your mind. Visualize a glowing, pure light surrounding you. Imagine yourself bowing before the deity, and with water in hand, say: "Today, I worship you here, please come and accept my offerings."

To fully complete the Ganesh Puja, it’s essential to also honour the Navagraha, Dittya, and Adi Devatas. These represent the stars and all the divine energies that guide us, but we always begin by first offering worship to Ganesha. Start with a simple Ganesh puja using turmeric to form a small pile, then place Navagraha on palm leaves with dried dates, turmeric, betel nut, and dakshina. Finish with aarti.

Begin the main Ganesh Puja with the Shodashopachar (the 16-step ritual). Invite the deity, offer an asana (seat), and provide water for washing the hands, feet, face, and for a bath. Use Panchamrit (a mix of milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar) for a symbolic bath, and if you like, you can also bathe the deity with turmeric, ashwagandha, or fruit juices. Afterward, offer water for a final bath. Then, dress the deity with fresh clothes, ornaments, a sacred thread (upanayana), and adorn with sandalwood tilak, kumkum tilak, flowers, and garlands. Offer fruits, sweets, and other refreshments. You’ll also give food, water, and betel nut.

The ritual also includes Kalpataru Pratha, the offering of trees. Conclude the puja with aarti using incense, lamps, and camphor. Circle the deity, bow with reverence, and ask for forgiveness for any mistakes made during the puja. Then, express your gratitude. This completes your puja.

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How to decorate for the puja:

1. Arrange 33 betel leaves on a plate, creating a small mound of turmeric in the middle. Surround it with dried dates, turmeric sticks, betel nuts, and dakshina for the Purva Puja.

2. Prepare a plate with water, milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar, turmeric water, kumkum water, and different fruit juices for the bath aarti.

3. Set out new clothes, ornaments, sacred threads, flowers, garlands, and trees on another plate. Add sandalwood, turmeric, kumkum, a mirror, and ashwagandha for the aarti.

4. For offerings, decorate a plate with fruit, bhog, modak for the argha aarti.

5. Lastly, for the Mangal Aarti, arrange a plate with dhoop (incense), deep (lamp), camphor, a fan, and Raksha Kabach.

Feel free to use more than one plate if it makes things easier for you!

Setting up the pot - Put a copper pot with rice in it in the morning and cover it with a red cloth.

Ananta Pradeep - Light a lamp and keep it lit for as long as you decide to perform puja as per Sankalpa.