Ganesha- Chaturthi

This is a ten days festival starting on Shukla Chaturthi and ends on Anant Chaturdashi of Bhadrapada month according to  hindu calendar.
It is said that Ganesha is the remover of Obstacles so when the Ganpati festival is celebrated Ganesha takes away your worries and set you free from obstacles.

Ganesha was born on Shukla Chaturthi at 1:00 PM , so the moorti sthapna (place the statue) should be done between 12:30 to 1:00 PM. choose a proper and suitable place in your home or workplace for the Moorti Sthapna , where you can see it most of the time in a day , Clean the place and cover it with a good cloth of silk (or any as per your faith) of green , yellow or red color. Spread little rice on the cloth and place the statue of Ganesha on it , You can also make the statue by your hands from clay or you can buy it from the market.

STHAPANA VIDHI AT HOME

गणेश वन्दना (Ganesha Vandna)

वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभा ।

निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ||

“Vakratunndd mahaakaay Suryakotti samaprabhaa.

NirvighnaN kuru me dev sarvakaaryesshu sarvadaa.”

Meaning: O Lord Ganesha of large body, curved trunk, with the brilliance of a million suns, please make all my work free of obstacles always.

Chant the following mantra, while placing the mukut on the idol
Asmin Bimbe Chitrapate
Maha-Ganapataye Namah
Vastrartha Mukutam
Samarpayami
* Sound the bell for 5 seconds.

Next step is to invoke Ganesha into the image. This is known as pran-prathishta. The Pran Prathista mantra in Sanskrit to be invoked is found in the Rig Veda and is part of Ganesh Suktha.
The Invocation mantra in Devnagiri are as follows:-

गणानां तवा गणपतिं हवामहे कविं कवीनामुपमश्रवस्तमम |

जयेष्ठराजं बरह्मणां बरह्मणस पत आ नः षर्ण्वन्नूतिभिः सीद सादनम ||

नि षु सीद गणपते गणेषु तवामाहुर्विप्रतमंकवीनाम |

न रते तवत करियते किं चनारे महामर्कंमघवञ्चित्रमर्च ||

Offerings:

1. 21 Dourva (grass)

2. pushpa (flowers)

3. Roli and Moli (red tilak and red thead of cotton used in pooja)

4. Chaval (rice)

5. Ghee Sindoor ( ghee and Kumkum)

6. Haldi ( some people according to their regions do offer Haldi tilak)

7. 21 Ladoo  ( a sweet dish modak which is very dear to Lord ganesha)

The number 21 signifies - the five organs of perception, five organs of action, five vital airs (pranas), five elements, and the mind.

8. Sugar cane and Banana are also offer which is optional.

9. Green color is also dear to ganesha so you can also offer him green cloth (optional)

 

Ganpati Puja : Stepwise-wise directions
Puja must be commenced only after performing ablutions .


Begin by reciting “Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah” (1)
Follow this by repeating “Aum” thrice.
Now take a sip of holy water and invoke the god to purify you by repeating Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah thrice and wash hands
Now the puja can begin.
Sprinkle the ganesha idol with rice grains and flowers and chant Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Asanam Samarpayami

Next wash the feet of the idol with rice and sandal water and chant ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Padyam Samarpayami’

Next wash the hands of the idol with sandal water mixed with rice and flowers and chant ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Samarpayami’

Next offer the idol water to drink , thrice , while chanting ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Achmaneeyam Samarpayami ‘

Next the idol has to be bathed with milk, curd, ghee. Honey and sugar. Chant ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Panchamrita Snanam Samarpayami’ .

After this make holy water offering. All the five offerings are to be made separately chanting ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Payah Snanam Samarpayami ‘ when offering milk.
‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Dadhi Snanam Samarpayami‘ when offering curd.
‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Ghrut Snanam Samarpayami‘ when offering ghee.
‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Madhu Snanam Samarpayami’ when offering honey.
‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Sharkara Snanam Samarpayami’ when offering sugar.

Now offer holy water to the idol and then wipe it clean with a piece of cloth while chanting ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Uttaraposhnam Samarpayami’.

Now all the necessary ablutions have been completed.
The puja will proceed by making various offerings to lord ganesha Offer raiment to the idol in the form of two threads chanting ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Vastropvastram Samarpayami’.

When offering white thread repeat ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Yagyopveetam Samarpayami’.

Now red sandal powder paste is applied to the brow of the idol while chanting ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Gandham samarpayami’.

Offer rice and chant, ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Akshtam Samarpayami’.
Garland the idol, shower flowers and chant, ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Puspam Samarpayami’.

Offer Durva grass chanting, ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Durvan Kuran Samarpayami’.
Leaves offering chanting ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Bilvapatram Samarpayami’.
Burned perfume offering to be made while chanting ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Dhoopam Agrapyami’.
Perform the aarti of the idol with a ghee lamp chanting ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Deepam Darshyami’.
Give sweets to the lord, chanting ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Naivedyam Samaryami’.

Offer water to the idol ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Achmaneeyam Samarpayami’.

Offer fruit, ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Phalam Samarpayami’

Offer betel nut, betel leaf, clove and cardamom and chant ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Tamboolam Samarpayami’.

Offer perfume and chant ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Itram Samarpayami’

Offer coins and chant ‘Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Dakshinam Samarpayami’

Now offer sandal rice, flower, and durva all mixed in water and chant “Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Vishesh Argyam Samarpayami”

Now genuflect before the idol while chanting, Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah I bow before you.

Finally to bring the puja to a close circle the idol in a clockwise direction while chanting Aum Shri Ganeshya Namah Pradakshinam Samarpayami once.

 

After Sthapna worship it every day , offer Durva (Grass) each day of the festival.

Durva(Grass) is very dear to Ganesha.

do offer as per your faith. Light a Deepak (Ghee lamp ) and sing Arti of Ganesha with your family and colleagues each day.

Tenth day the Anant Chaturdash

worship Ganesha and give offerings , Thank him for being there with them in the whole festival , ask him to take your worries with him and pick up the statue and take it to a  moving water body (a river , a sea or ocean) .  and Parvahit (leave it , merge it completely ) in the water body.