Ganesha Chaturthi Puja Vidhi

Lord Ganesha is worshipped with all sixteen rituals along with chanting of Puranik Mantras during Ganesha Chaturthi Puja which is also known as Vinayaka ChaturthiPuja. Worshipping Gods and Goddesses with all 16 rituals is known as Shodashopachara Puja (षोडशोपचार पूजा).

If you have Lord Ganesha installed at your home and is worshipped daily then Avahana (आवाहन) and Pratishthapan (प्रति�ष्ठापन) should be skipped as these two rituals are done for newly bought statues of Lord Ganesha either made of clay or made of metal. It should be noted that pre-installed statue of Lord Ganesha at home are not given Visarjan (तिवसज�न) but given Utthapana (उत्थापन) at the end of Puja.

1. Avahana

(आवाहन) – invoking Lord Ganesha

2. Pratishthapan

(प्रति�ष्ठापन) – installing Lord Ganesha into the statue

3. Aasan Samarpan

(आसन समप�ण) – offering seat to Lord Ganesha

4. Ardhya Samarpan

(अर्ध्य�� समप�ण) – offering scented water to Lord Ganesha

5. Aachaman

(आचमन)

6. Snan

(स्नान)

o पञ्चामृ� स्नानम्o प�ः स्नानम्o दधि# स्नानम्o #ृ� स्नानम्o म#ु स्नानम्o शर्क� रा स्नानम्o सुवासिस� स्नानम्o शुर्ध्यदोदर्क स्नानम्

7. Vastra Samarpan

(वस्त्र समप�ण वं उत्तरी� समप�ण)

8. Yagyopavit Samarpan

(�ज्ञोपवी� समप�ण)

9. Gandha

(गन्ध)

10. Akshata

(अक्ष�) – unbroken rice for Puja

11. Pushpa Mala

(पुष्प माला)

o शमी पत्रo दुवा�न्रु्करo सिसन्दूर

12. Dhoop

(#ूप)

13. Deep Darshan

(दीप दश�न)

14. Naivedhya Nivedan

(नैवेद्य तिनवेदन)

o चन्दन15. Tambula Arpana

(�ाम्बुल अप�ण) – offering Paan made of betal nut and leaves

o नारिररे्कल अप�णo दक्षिक्षणा समप�ण

16. Neeranajan

(नीरानजन/आर�ी) – Lord Ganesha Aarti

Ganesh Chaturthi Puja Time

Madhyahana Puja Time = 11:24 to 13:54Duration = 2 Hours 29 Mins

On 29th, Time to Avoid Moon Sighting = 09:12 to 21:14

Duration = 12 Hours 1 Min

Chaturthi Tithi Begins = 02:09 on 29/Aug/2014Chaturthi Tithi Ends = 03:42 on 30/Aug/2014

Lord Ganesh Pooja :-Place the idol of Lord Ganesh on the altar after taking bath in the morning. Sit comfortably, fold your hand in namaste, close your eyes and chant Om slowly three times.Ganesh Mantra -vakratunda mahaakaaya soorya koti samaprabhanirvighnam kuru mein deva sarva kaaryashu sarvadaaChant the following mantra, while placing the mukut on the idolAsmin Bimbe ChitrapateMaha-Ganapataye NamahVastrartha MukutamSamarpayami* 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 �वा गणपति�ं हवामहे र्कतिवं र्कवीनामुपमश्रवस्�मम |ज�ेष्ठराजं बरह्मणां बरह्मणस प� आ नः षर्ण्वव�न्नूति�क्षिBः सीद सादनम ||तिन षु सीद गणप�े गणेषु �वामाहुर्विवपं्र�मंर्कवीनाम |न र�े �व� र्करिर��े तिरं्क चनारे महामर्कE मघवञ्चिञ्चत्रमच� ||

Now Ganesh’s soul is invoked in the idol and you can start performing the customary puja rituals/bhajans.

Saraswati Mantra -

saraswati namastubhyam varade kaama roopineepoojaarambham karishyaami siddhir bhavatu mein sadaaEnglish meaning:

Goddess Saraswati, my salutations to you. I am starting the puja, please bless me with knowledge.

*Make a resolve to perform the pooja.

Make a resolve Mantra -

mama upaatta samasta durita kshaya dwaaraa parameshwara preetiartham mahaa ganapati poojaam karishye

Prepare the pooja thali with the following items:

Coconut

21 blades of Dhruva grass

21 Modak (Modak is the favourite food of Lord Ganesh)

Pack Of Agarbattis (Incence Sticks)

Betel Leaf & Supari (Betel nut)

Janahav (Cotton String worn by Hindus)

Cotton packet (Used for making cotton wicks)

Abir (Black powder used for applying tilak)

Gulal (Red powder used for applying tilak)

Stick of Sandalwood (Used in making sandalwood paste)

Packet Of Camphor

Pouch Of Dhoop (Natural extract from trees)

*Pray Guru

Guru Mantra -

English wording:gurur brahma guruvishnuh gurudevo maheshwaragurussakshaat parabrahma tasmai shri gurave namahEnglish meaning:The teacher is the embodiment of the trinity – Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. To that Guru, who is none other than God himself, I salute.

Prepare the Nandadeep (lamp) by pouring oil in it and making a cotton wick.

*Meditate upon Lord GaneshEnglish wording:shuklaambara sharam vishnum shashi varnam chaturbhujamprasanna vadanam dhyaayet sarvavighnopa shaantayeEnglish meaning:I meditate upon Lord Ganesh, who is wearing bright colored clothes, and has four arms, pleasant faced Lord Ganesha removes all obstacles.Make arrangements for garland to be placed around Lord Ganesha’s neck.*Invite the Lord to accept your worship.asmin bimbe chitrapatemaha-ganapataye namahkarpura nirajanamdarsayaminirajananantaramacamaniyam samarpayamiEnglish meaning:

I offer camphor aarti to Lord Ganesh in this beautiful form. After the camphor aarti, pure water is offered to Him.*Welcome the Lord with flowers and waterI welcome the Lord with these flowers and kalash of water.Fill the kalash (copper pot) with water and arrange flowers.*Offer milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar. At the end offer water from the kalash. Pour the mixture of all these five items into the Charanamrit set. Offer everything with Charanamrit Set. Dip flowers in the kalash and offer to the Lord.*Worship the Lord with a bit of kumkum (sindoor), haldi (turmeric powder), abir (black powder) and a paste made out of sandalwood bar.*Offer the benevolent Lord the traditional Dhoop Aarti with Brass Dhoop Lamp and circle the Lord Ganesha Idol three to five times in the clock wise direction* – Perform The Lord Ganesha Aarti – Jai Ganesh Deva/Jai Dev Jai dev(famous marathi arti) with the traditional Niranjan Lamp. All the five oil cotton wicks of the Niranjan should be lighted as this a part of the customary ritual of the traditional Ganesh Pooja

While i was in Maharashtra, this was the famous marathi lyrics of jai dev jai dev arti that would linger in the temples of Pune :

Jai Dev Jai Dev ArtiJaidev Jaidev Jai Mangal Murti llDarshan Maatre Man: Kaamna Phurti llSukhkarta Dukhharta Varta Vighnachi llNurvi Purvi Prem Krupa Jayachi llSarvangi Sundar Uti Shendurachi llKanti Jhalke Mal Mukataphalaanchi..llJaidev Jaidev Jai Mangal Murti llDarshan Maatre Man: Kaamna Phurti llRatnakhachit Phara Tujh Gaurikumra llChandanaachi Uti Kumkumkeshara llHirejadit Mukut Shobhato Bara llRunjhunati Nupure(2) Charani Ghagriya llJaidev Jaidev Jai Mangal Murti llDarshan Maatre Man: Kaamna Phurti llLambodar Pitaambar Phanivarvandana llSaral Sond Vakratunda Trinayana llDas Ramacha Vat Pahe Sadana llSankati Pavave Nirvani Rakshave llSurvarvandana llJaidev Jaidev Jai Mangal Murti llDarshan Maatre Man: Kaamna Phurti ll

For those who have difficulty in saying the marathi words, here is Jai Ganesh Deva, the popular arati of Lord Ganesha :

Jai Ganesh jai Ganesh jai Ganesh devaMata jaki parvati pita mahadevaEk dant dayavantChar bhuja dhari

Mathe pher sindur soheMuse ki sawari

Jai Ganesh jai Ganesh jai Ganesh deva …

Pan chadhe phul chadheAur chadhe mevaLadduan ka bhog lageSant kare seva

Jai Ganesh jai Ganesh jai Ganesh deva …

Andhan ko ankhdet Kodhin ko kayaBanjan ko putra detNirdhan ko maya

Jai Ganesh jai Ganesh jai Ganesh deva …

Vighne harane mangala karanePuhan puhan prakashNama le Ganesh kaSiddha ojata kaja

Jai Ganesh jai Ganesh jai Ganesh deva …

After doing the arati,

* Stand up straight. Fold your hands and do namaste. Turn clock wise three times. Do namaskar to the benevolent Lord Ganesha.

Take prasad and distribute it to everyone present. Take blessings from Lord Ganesha for a happy and prosperous life.

After reciting the following Shanti Mantra, cleanup your pooja placesarve santu sukhinahsarve santu niramayahsarve bhadrani pashyantumaa kashchid sukhabhag bhavet//OM Ganeshaya Namah//

What you will need for the puja A clay image of Lord Ganesha (hopefully an eco-

friendly idol) Red Flowers Modaks and assorted sweets like Pedhas / Karanjis –

These are generally made at home for ‘Prasad’ on an empty stomach or Upwaas

Coconut

Ganpati Bappa Majha

Chandan or Sandalwood Incense Sticks Choice of fruits A moda / stool or raised platform to place Bappa. Sweet made of Pancha Khadya (Ganesha’s favourite) –

Dates, Rasins, Powdered Sugar, Poppy seeds (Khus Khus) and Coconut

Decorations for the platform with cloth, lights etcSTART WITH

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The preparation for Ganesh Chaturti starts well in advance with one giving a spic-and-span clean to the whole house before the Lord arrives. This is generally an exercise that goes into several days but it necessarily needs to be done for the Puja room / temple / place where Ganeshji will be housed and the whole home should be free of clutter.

ON THE DAY YOU WELCOME GANESHASweep and wipe clean the rooms and have a bath. Bring home Ganesha with fervor among family and friends.

Once the idol is home, recite Ganesh Shlokas and pray to the Lord to be welcome in your humble abode.

PRAN-PARTISHTHAYou can chant a series of shloks from the Rig Veda to invoke the Lord into the idol. They are in Sanskrit and are a part of the Ganesh Suktha.

ganananh tva ganapatim havamahe kavim kavinam – upamashravastamam |jyeshhtharajam brahmanan.h brahmanaspata A nah shrivnvannutibhih sida sadanam ||

ni shhu sida ganapate ganeshhu tvamahurvipratamam kavinam |na rite tvat.h kriyate kinchanare mahamarkam

maghavan.h chitramarcha ||

MeaningWe invoke You, O Ganapati of the ganas (Lord Shiva attendants), Who are Brahmana-spati of the brahmas (prayers), the wisest among the wise, Who abound in treasure beyond all measure, the most brilliant one. Do listen to our prayers, come with Your blessings and assurances of protection into our home, and be seated.

Sit down among the worshippers, O Ganapati, the best sage among the sages. Without You nothing can be done here or far. Accept with honor, O wealthy One, our great and variegated hymns of praise.

After this, you can start making your offerings to Ganesha. Start by lighting the auspicious lamp.Offer 21 blades of Druva, 21 Modaks, 21 of the sweet you make from Panch Khadya, assorted fruits and flowers.Apply Tilak and then break the coconut (it should ideally split in the middle) and also make offerings of various grains to Mooshik. You can then recite the 108 names of Lord Ganesha followed by the Ganesh Aarti and distribution of Prasad among devotees.

Detailed rituals are performed by Pundits and please keep in mind that more than performing exact rituals, its true devotion that is favoured by Bappa.

The Puja First clean the house and take a bath. A Clay image of Lord Ganesha is installed in a raised platform. Pray to Lord Ganesh and you can recite mantras or bhajans dedicated to Lord Ganesha. 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.ganananh tva ganapatim havamahe kavim kavinam - upamashravastamam |jyeshhtharajam brahmanan.h brahmanaspata A nah shrivnvannutibhih sida sadanam || (Rig Veda 2.23.1)

ni shhu sida ganapate ganeshhu tvamahurvipratamam kavinam |na rite tvat.h kriyate kinchanare mahamarkam maghavan.h chitramarcha || (Rig Veda 10.112.9)We invoke You, O Ganapati of the ganas (Lord Shiva attendants), Who are Brahmana-spati of the brahmas (prayers), the wisest among the wise, Who abound in treasure beyond all measure, the most brilliant one. Do listen to our prayers, come with Your blessings and assurances of protection into our home, and be seated. (Rig Veda 2.23.1)Sit down among the worshippers, O Ganapati, the best sage among the sages. Without You nothing can be done here or far. Accept with honor, O wealthy One, our great and variegated hymns of praise. (Rig Veda 10.112.9)

Now Ganesha is installed in the idol and one can perform arati and light the lamps.Some people perform the shhodashopachara, which are 16 forms of paying tribute to Ganesha. (This ritual is usually performed by the priests, you can skip this.) Offer 21 blades of Druva Grass. Offer 21 modakas Offer red flowers Apply a tilak using red Sandalwood paste. Break the coconut or just keep it along with the idol. You can also keep fried grains. (The food of the rat – the vehicle of Ganesha). You can also recite the 108 salutations dedicated to Lord Ganesha or read the Ganesha Upanishad or just simply pray.The number 21 signifies - the five organs of perception, five organs of action, five vital airs (pranas), five elements, and the mind.

While performing Ganesha Puja at home, you can always be flexible. The strict rituals are meant for Vedic priests. All you need to be careful is to perform the pujas with a clean body and clean mind.

What is more important is devotion not the ritual.

Try to be simple. Concentrate on your prayers not on decoration and other ritualistic details.

Following method is used to before doing Ganesh Chaturthi pujaCollect Puja Items: (Samgari) 1. Lord Ganesha’s moorti (or a big framed photo)-Preferable to have an idol made out of Turmeric powder(addwater in small quantity so as to make it a dough and pliable and shape in the from of Vinayaka)Plantain leaf (if available or a plate) and rice for installing Lord’s Turmeric prateema.One plate (preferably a metallic one) and some rice (2-3 cups)Ghantaa (bell)Two coconuts or bananas

Betel leaves, supaari (betel nuts).Haldi, kumkum, akshata, flowers, garlands.Panchaamrita (honey, milk, ghee, curds, sugar – all in one cup). 2 small lamps with ghee and a cotton wick.Agarbatti (and no camphor) and a match-box.Small cups and a spoon, preferably metallic.(Preferable to Have Pancha Patra).Some money for Dakshina (Offering) to Lord Ganesha.(one “Five Rupee Coin will do).Sweets and other items for Naivedya.Before doing pooja, keep the surroundings clean and nice.Be yourself clean, neat and tidy and follow the instructions.Wear Vibhuti mixed with Water on your Forehead.1) Sit comfortably, fold your hands in namaste. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and chant OM slowly three times.Sound the bell for five seconds.2) Chant/Speak the following prayers:Pray Lord Ganesha.vakratuNDa mahaakaaya soorya koTi samaprabha |nirvighnam kuru me deva sarva kaaryeShu sarvadaa ||O, God Ganesha, you are as bright as ten million Suns.I pray to you please remove all obstacles from my path.Pray Goddess Saraswatisaraswati namastubhyam varade kaamaroopiNi |poojaarambham karishyaami siddhir bhavatu me sadaa ||Goddess Saraswati, my salutations to you. I am starting the pooja, please bless me with success.Prayers to Guru (our teacher)gurur brahmaa gurur viShNuH gurur devo maheshwaraH |guruH saakshaat parabrahma tasmai shri gurave namaH ||The teacher is the embodiment of the trinity – Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. To that Guru who is noneother than the God Himself, I salute.Chant ‘sahana vavatu’OM sahanaa vavatu | sahanau bhunaktuSaha veeryam karavaavahai ||Tejaswi-naa-vadheetamastu maa vidvishaavahai |OM shaantiH shaantiH shaantiH ||OM. May we protect each other. May we eat together, may we studytogether, and may we achieve together. May there not be any animosityamongst us. May there be peace, peace and peace. 3) Make a resolve to perform the pooja.

Perform Achamana-Achyutaaya namah…..Onm Bhooh.(Detailed Sankalpa -Follow the Link at the end of this post).

mama upaatta durita kshaya dwaaraa shree-parameshwara preetiartham sarva abhiishTa siddhi artham dhyaana aavaahana aadiTo forsake all my problems and to earn the Supreme Lord’s love, andfor the fulfillment of all my wishes, I shall worship Lord Ganesha byseveral means. 4) Meditate upon Lord Ganesha.shukla-ambara-dharaM viShNuM shashi-varNaM chatur-bhujam|prasanna-vadanaM dhyaayet sarva-vighnopa-shaantaye ||I meditate upon Lord Ganesha who is wearing white clothes, bright colored and has four arms. Pleasant faced Lord Ganesha removes all obstacles.Gajaananam bhootagaNaadi sevitamkapittha jamboo phalasaara bhakshitam |umaasutam shoka vinaasha kaaraNamnamaami vighneshwara paada pankajam ||I pray to the lotus feet of elephant headed Lord Ganapati, who is served by one and all, who likes fruits, who is son of Goddess Paarvati and who removes root cause of all miseries. 5) Invite the Lord to come to you to receive your worship.atra aagachcha jagadwandya suraraaja architeshwara |anaathanaatha sarvajna gourii garbha samudbhava ||Shrii-mahaa-gaNa-adhipataye namaH| Aavaahayaami||I invite you to come here, O Lord Ganesha, saluted by the world, the one worshipped by the king of Gods, lord of all, the all-knower, son of Goddess Gowri. 6) Offer seat to Lord Ganesha.mouktikaiH puShya raagaishca naanaa ratna viraajitam |ratna simhaasanam caaru priityartham pratiguhyataam ||Shrii-mahaa-gaNa-adhipataye namaH| aasanam samarpayaami|I offer to you, Lord Ganesha, to please you and seat you, all gems studded throne.Please accept it. 7) Offer Lord Ganesha water, milk and honey.mahaa-gaNa-adhipataye namaH |paadayOH paadyam samarpayaami|I offer water to wash the feet of Lord Ganesha, the leader of all troops.I offer water to wash the hands of Lord Ganesha, the son of GoddessGowri.anaatha-naathaaya namaH | aacamaniiyam samarpayaami |I offer drinking water to Lord Ganesha, who is the Lord of all.gajavaktraaya namaH | madhuparkam samarpayaami |I offer the traditional mixture of milk and honey to the elephant headed Lord Ganesha. 8) Offer panchamritam (milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar) to Lord Ganesha. Take milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar in small cups.Use separate cups or mix them all in a single cup. Dip a flower in cup and worship with that flower.

snaanam panchaamritaiH deva grihaaNa gaNa naayaka|anaatha naatha sarvajna giirvaaNa paripoojita ||Shrii-mahaa-gaNa-adhipataye namaH|panchaamrita snaanam samarpayaami||Oh gaNa naayaka, Lord, God, all-knowledgeable!Please accept panchaamirta snaanam.mahaa-gaNapataye namaH| kshiireNa snaapayaami ||I wash him with milkmahaa-gaNapataye namaH, dadhnaa snaapayaami |I wash him with curdmahaa-gaNapataye namaH, aajyena snaapayaami |I wash him with gheemahaa-gaNapataye namaH, madhum snaapayaami |I wash him with honey.mahaa-gaNapataye namaH, sharkarayaam snaapayaami |I wash him with sugar.- See more at: http://happydiwalismswallpaper.in/ganesh-chaturthi-mantra-pooja-vidhi-ganesh-ji-ki-puja/#sthash.HBWfZ9lH.dpuf

Is there any special Ganesh Visarjan mantras or procedure? Any specific ritual while performing immersion of Ganesha after Chaturthi Pujas. These are some of the common doubts that many devotees have? The concept of Ganesh Chaturthi is that Ganesha comes to the home of his devotees on Ganesh Chaturthi day. He brings auspiciousness, hope, success and happiness to all homes. During his brief stay, He removes all obstacles. While returning He takes with him all problems and unhappiness.

Ganesh Visarjan MantrasThere are no specific Ganesh Visarjan mantras. The only chant that is done is Ganapati Bappa Moriya...

You can also chant this prayer

Mushikavaahana modaka hastha,Chaamara karna vilambitha sutra,Vaamana rupa maheshwara putra,Vighna vinaayaka paada namastheO Vinayaka! The remover of all obstacles, the son of Lord Shiva, with a form which is very short, with mouse as Thy vehicle, with sweet pudding in hand, with wide ears and long hanging trunk, I prostrate at Thy lotus-like Feet!

Ganesh Visarjan ProcedureBefore taking Ganesh for Visarjan. You should perform Aarti. All the family members should be present. Usual Ganesh Mantras and Aarti prayers should be

chanted.

The visarjan ritual begins with the Uttarang puja which involves offering five items, namely deep (oil lamps), pushp (flowers), dhoop (incense), gandh (fragrance) and naivedya (food) to Ganpati.

After this, all members of the household gather to perform the aarti and sprinkle akshat or raw rice upon the lord. 

The murti of Ganesha is then lifted from its seat and carried to the threshold where it is turned to face the house and placed on the floor.

You should thank Ganesha for visiting your home. Thank him for bringing prosperity and auspiciousness. Thank him for taking away all difficulties with him.

Ask for his pardon for any mistakes committed.

If you plan to bring Ganesh murti next year, then ask him to return.

Now a spoonful of curd is poured into Ganesh's outstretched palm because Hindus especially Maharashtrians believe that any guest who receives curd and rice is sure to visit again.

Ask for His blessings. The family then circumambulates Ganesha murti after which it is led for immersion.

Take some water and sprinkle it on the person performing the Visarjan.

The person performing the Visarjan should remove all garlands and other decorations on Ganesha.

Collect it in a newspaper or cover. This should not be thrown in the river or water body. Should be place in appropriate spot given by authorities or should be deposited in a hole in one's compound.

Now it is time to lift up the Ganesha. 

Lift up the Ganesha. Other people around can chant Ganapati Bappa Moriya... and other Ganesha chants.Once the murti is lifted up do not place it at home. Walk out of home and move quickly towards the immersion point.

Never look back at home with the murti in the hand. 

While immersing the murti chant ...Ganapati Bappa moriya...

Some devotees perform another aarti at the spot of immersion but this is skipped due to heavy rush.

After Performing the immersion, do not look back at the murti.

Return home and take bath.

Go to the puja room or area and offer prayers.

Symbolic Immersion

You can also perform a symbolic immersion by sprinkling water on Ganesha. This is if it is made of metal or porcelain and you plan to use it next year.

Such murtis should be carefully kept in the puja room or in a spot without disturbing it. Daily prayers should not be offered to this murti. Prayers to this murti should only be offered during Ganesh Chaturthi.

One and half day Ganesh Visarjan – August 30 Three days Ganpati Visarjan – August 31 Five Days Ganesh Visarjan – September 2 Seven Days Ganesh Visarjan – September 4 Ten days Ganesh Visarjan – September 7 Ananta Chaturdashi last day of Ganesh Visarjan – September 8There are no hard and fast rules for Ganesh Visarjan, it usually depends on family tradition and on the availability of family members.

The symbolic meaning of Ganesh Chaturthi festival is that Lord Ganesha comes and stays among us. The immersion symbolizes his return from the earth after removing the obstacles and unhappiness of his devotees.

Go for an Eco-friendly Green Ganesha VisarjanMillions of Ganesh idols made from Plaster of Paris and coated with deadly paints containing mercury, cadmium, lead and carbon are immersed in lakes, rivers, ponds and seas. This is harmful to environment and creates water pollution. Remember the same water is pumped and is made available to use in our homes.

The saddest part is that most of idols are left on riverbanks and on seashore in rotten and broken conditions. Municipality trucks come and carry them in the smelly trucks like waste products. This is not a good way to bid goodbye to Ganesha – the remover of obstacles.

Please if you have used a Ganapati Idol made from Plaster of Paris that uses chemical paints please do not immerse the Ganesha in river, lake or other public water bodies. You can use the tanks provided by the Metro and Municipal co-operation for Visarjan. 

Please make sure that you do not immerse any plastic waste along with the clay Ganesha idol and be proudly part of the eco-friendly Ganesh festival. Use clay idol and immerse only the soluble parts. You can also symbolically sprinkle water on the Ganesh idol. You can also immerse Ganesha in a bucket of water at home and then use it to water plants. If you are using idol of metal, then it can be reused next year.

This is Shameful and degrading the Hindu culture.

This is the true Hindu culture – Ganesha gets His form using earth (mud) and returns to earth.

Ganesh Visarjan RitualsIn India and other parts of the world the devotees of Lord Ganesha observe a fast onGanesh Chaturthi and celebrate it with pomp and show. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the fourth full moon day of Bhadrapad (Sep- Oct) month of Hindu calendar. An idol of Lord Ganesha is brought at home on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi and is immersed in water after 10 days i.e. on Anant Chaudas. Anant Chaudas or Anant Chaturdashi is the last day of the ‘Ganesha   Festival ’.This day Lord Ganesha’s idol is taken from home and is immersed in flowing water. We ask God to go to his Heavenly abode from where he had come; so that we can invite him the next year too with equal fervor.

          The time of farewell to Ganesha’s idol is a poignant moment in itself. Somerituals have to be followed in order to do the visarjan. There is one specific mantrawhich is chanted at the time of taking the idol for the visarjan. The prayer is:

Mushikavaahana modaka hastha,Chaamara karna vilambitha sutra,Vaamana rupa maheshwara putra,Vighna vinaayaka paada Namaste.

O Lord Vinayak! You are the remover of all obstacles. You are the son of Lord Shiva, and have a form which is remarkable, with the mouse as your carriage. You hold aladdu (sweet pudding) in your hand and  have wide ears and long hanging trunk. I prostrate with sincere devotion at your soft Kamal (lotus) like feet.

Before taking Ganesha for the visarjanceremony, one should perform the arti(prayer). All the family members should be present at that time. The rituals of the visarjan begin with anuttarang Puja (holy ceremony) which involves offering panchameva (five items), deep (oil lamps), Pushpa(flowers), Dhoop (incense), Gandhi(fragrance) and naivedyam (food) to Ganpati. After offering panchameva to Lord Ganesha, all should gather and perform Aarti. Then some Akshat (raw rice) is sprinkled onto the idol. The idol of Ganesha is then lifted from his seat and is carried to some threshold, where it is turned to face the house and is placed on the floor.We should ask for his pardon for any mistakes committed by us. If we plan to bring the idol next year for Pooja, we should invite him and ask him to return next year. A spoonful of curd is poured by the women of the house in the idol’s mouth, as it is believed that guests who receive curd and rice are sure to visit again. Then everyone in the family should ask for his blessings. Now the family members should circumambulate the Ganesha idol and proceed for the immersion. The Ganesha idol is now taken to every of the house. This is done to ask Ganesha to bless every part of our house.Take some Gangaajal (Holy water) and sprinkle it on the person doing the visarjan. All the garlands and the other decorations done on the Ganesha idol should be removed by the person doing the visarjan. They should be collected in some newspaper or a cover, and not to

be immersed with the idol. They can be offered at the peepal or bargad (banyan) tree. Now the idol is to be lifted up, and people going to do the visarjan chant the mantra:

‘Ganpati Bappa Moriya, Mangal Murti Moriya’.Once the idol is lifted it should not be placed in the home. The person holding the idol in hand should move out of the home and should proceed to the immersion point. One should not look back at the house once they proceed to the immersion point. If you have time you can also perform a small Aarti (prayer) at the immersion point. After performing the immersion, do not look back at the idol. You can either take a dip in the river itself or come home take a bath and perform a small Pooja(prayer). This  visarjan of Lord Ganesha is performed and devotes wait for a year for him to come and give them  the golden opportunity of his service.