How To Worship Lord Ganesh-An In-Depth Understanding Of Rituals During Ganesh Chaturthi
August 26, 2007
Most Hindu rituals begin in a similar manner which involves the five different types of offerings called Pancha Upacharas. They are namely Gandha (Fragrance) in the form of white or red Sandalwood paste, Dhupa (Lighting of Incense Sticks), Deepam (Lighting of Oil Lamps) Naivedyam (Offerings of fruits, sweetmeats etc.) and Pushparchana (Pushpa-Flowers, This denotes that while offering the flowers and flower garlands, the holy names of the Deity is chanted). Among the various seasonal fruits that are offered, the coconut is never forgotten. It represents our head that we humbly submit to the Lord. In temples, when we hand over the coconut to the priest, he smashes it open, and puts it in front of the deity. This symbolically implies that we are breaking our ego and our undesirable qualities and seeking His refuge.
(This photograph is taken from Lalbaugh Cha Raja’s website. This was His Swaroop for the year 2005.)
The Significance:
Every form of worship has specific meanings and its representations help us understand the nature of our customs and channelises the mind and body to get closer to the Holy Scriptures like the Vedas, Upanishads and ultimately with God. The world or the environment we live in a made up of five elements or Panchabhutas. These are Akasa (Sky), Vaayu (Air), Teja (Fire), Apam (Water) and Prithvi (Earth).
During the rituals, the Pancha Upacharas represent the Panchabhutas like flowers represent the sky, the incense sticks denote the air, the oil lamps correspond with the fire, the offerings with the water and the fragrance denotes the earth.
To further understand their significance we need to realise that we all enjoy the use of the five sensory organs known as Jnana Indriyas which consists of eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin. Their functions help us to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Every prayer begins with chanting of the word Om. This creates the sound which represents the sky and the vibrations stimulate our ears and we are able hear. The incense sticks represents the wind and the wind stimulates the sense organ, nose and we are able to smell. The oil lamp or the fire can be seen and felt. The offerings represent the water which in turn signifies the sense of taste. We consume the holy water and savor the fruits and sweetmeats as Prasad after the ritual.
Shodashopachara (Sixteen Steps For Worshipping Lord Ganesh):
It is stated in the mythology that it is only during Ganesh Chaturthi that Tulasi leaves (Basil) are used for worship. Tulasi was a princess who had made advances towards the Lord and was punished. He turned her into an herb but on His birthday, she is forgiven and allowed to adorn Him with her delicate leaves. The rituals begin with priest performing Pranprathishta (Invoking life into the idol.) The Lord is anointed with Rakta Chandana (Red Sandalwood paste) followed by Shodashopachara (Sixteen ways of paying tribute, worshipping). These include –
- Aavahanam-The Lord is invited to come and partake in the ceremony and celebrations.
- Aasanaam-Appropriate and comfortable seating arrangements are made for the Lord.
- Paadyam-Special foot service is offered whereby, His feet are bathed with fragrant water sprinkled with rose petals and wiped with delicate towels.
- Arghyaam-Specially prepared cool, scented water is served to quench His thirst.
- Aachamaneeyam-This ritual involves sipping water from the palm before commencing the worship for internal purification by the priest and the people participating in the ceremony.
- Snaanaam-The Lord is bathed with water which has been purified with mantras invoking all the sacred rivers of India such as Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kaveri, Narmada etc., Milk, Curd (Yoghurt), Ghee (Clarified Butter), Honey and Sugar. This mixture is known as Panchaamrit (Pancha-Five, Amrit-Ambrosia, Nectar). The Ganga water is not really water – it is the Swaroop (Form) of Goddess Ganga. Hence this representation is equally as pure as the goddess herself – i.e., Nirdosh (Without any flaws). The same goes for waters of the Yamuna, Tapi and the other holy rivers.
- Vastram-He is dressed in brightly-colored, soft, silk clothes consisting of a Dhoti and Anga Vastra.
- Yagyopaveetam-The Sacred Thread (Janoi) is placed across His shoulder.
- Gandham-This means fragrance. Perfume (Attar, Ettar) is anointed.
- Aksataam-Offering of Grains is performed at this stage.
- Pushpam-Pushpa means flower. Varieties of fresh, assorted flowers and flower garlands are offered emitting delightful fragrance. The red hibiscus is His favourite flower.
- Dhoopam-The incense sticks are lighted which spreads delicate scent, purifying the atmosphere all around.
- Deepam-Diyas (Lamps are lit where its wicks are immersed in ghee) are lighted.
- Naivedyam-Lord Ganesh is offered Sweets and seasonal Fruits. His favourite sweets are the Modaka and Laddoo.
- Tamboolam-Paan, a betel leaf is rolled with refreshing mints and betel nut, then dipped in rose water and sprinkled with dry coconut strands is offered.
- Dakshanaam-Dakshanam is performed, whereby the priest is gifted a coin in gratitude for the ceremony performed.
Along with the Flowers, twenty-one Durva (Three blade grass, Trefoil) is also offered to Ganesh. The number twenty-one has a symbolic meaning. It represents five Jnana Indriyas (Organs of Perception), the five Karma Indriyas (Organs of Action), the five Pranas (Vital Air), the five Bhutas (Elements) and the Mind.There are many interesting facts relating to why Durva is offered.
Lord Ganesh’s name Vrikodara means the one who has fire called Vrika in His stomach. This gives Him a big appetite. The Durva has medicinal properties which controls this heat and creates a cooling effect. The other explanation is since Shiva had severed His head and replaced it with an elephant’s head, there was a lesion / cut. The juice of the Durva is known to heal wounds and so this is offered with great reverence.
Vedic hymns from the Rig-Veda, Ganesh Atharvashirsha Upanishad, and strotra from the Narada Purana are sung during the festival. They are accompanied by musical instruments like the Harmonium, Tabla, Tanpura or sometimes only Jhanja (These are small hand held instruments.) After the ceremony/ritual, the Naivedya (Offerings such as fruits, jaggery, coconut and sweetmeats-Bhog) are distributed as Prasad (Santified Food) among the devotees.
By placing a betel nut on a mound of rice and with the appropriate mantras, Lord Ganesh can also be invoked. This is done when He is called upon as a part of other ritualistic worship. The rituals in south Konkan (Located in the state of Maharashtra use a coconut instead of the betel nut.
Aarti (A ritual) is performed twice a day, in the morning and in the evenings. The Pancha Pradeep is usually used to perform this ceremony. This is a special brass/copper lamp burner which has a handle and six cavities. Five hold the wicks dipped in ghee in a semi-circle and the larger one in the centre holds the camphor. When Aarti is performed we witness the beauty of the Lord in all His glory. Camphor burns itself out without leaving a trace. This represents our Vasanas (Unmanifested desires) This illustrates that when we take refuge in the Lord to obtain knowledge; all other desires get burnt out. The camphor emits a wonderful fragrance which purifies the environment and creates a sense of happiness.
©Nayna, 2007. All Rights Reserved.
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28 Responses to “How To Worship Lord Ganesh-An In-Depth Understanding Of Rituals During Ganesh Chaturthi”
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Wonderful summary pertaining to o Worship Lord Ganesh-An In-Depth Understanding Of Rituals During Ganesh Chaturthi. Thoroughly enjoy this articles.
I wanted the procedure of performing Sankasht Chathurthi- which comes every month. I fast on this day, and in the evening preapare modak-naivedyam (21) and do a simple pooja with dhoop, dipam and flowers. Is it neceesary to wait for the ‘Chandraudaya” before eating the prasadam- whole thali? Please advise
Hi Varsha,
Your fast remains incomplete if you eat before moonrise. You have to offer dhoop, deepam, rice grains, a piece of sweet to Chandradev and only then break the fast. This is the main significance of Sankarshti. Kindly check the timings of Chandraudaya in your panchang. Read the following links which will give you the reasons why and exact significance of doing Sankarshti fast.
http://nayna.in/blog/divine-grace/faq-on-lord-ganesh-part-1/
http://nayna.in/blog/divine-grace/the-moon-punished-understand-the-divinity-behind-lord-ganeshs-actions/
I am unable to express my feelings in words about all that I have found in your site.I take it as a grace of Lord Ganesha that I have come accross such an informative site.Pl. help me to get the Vedic hymns from Rig Veda,Ganesh Atharvashirsha Upanishads and strotas from Narada Purana related to Lord Ganesha.Also pl. suggest me books where from i can come to know about HIS Leelas.Also pl. advise me about the rituals to be follwed in worshipping Lord Ganesha in the evening daily at home.I get the time after returning home from my job which demands my stay at office from 6.00a.m. to 7.00p.m.
Hello Moulinath,
I am glad that you have found our blog interesting. I will answer all your questions step by step.
1) Regarding the hymns and kirtans on Lord Ganesh. Well, this is a good time to lookout in music stores as they will sell all the compilations of the best of strotas during Ganesh Chaturthi. Most cds have Narad Urvacha, Atharvashirsham and aartis. It is a good investment to buy the CD as they also contain the strotras written on their inner flap. This helps to sing along as the Mahamantras as chanted and you will learn the exact ways of pronouncing them.
2) Regarding Lord Ganesh’s Leelas, we have a fairly large collection of his leelas listed on this blog under Legends Of Lord Ganesh. The FAQ on Lord Ganesh answers most of the questions on his worship as well. We have done an extensive search from many sources and compiled them over a long period of time. Gita press has many books on Lord Ganesh. Also read our post on Ashta Vinayak Yatra which includes his eight forms and legends behind them.
3) Daily puja can be done in a very simple manner. Since you have time in the evening, you can do His aarti. Put a tilak (red chandan paste, some even put haldi and kumkum) on His forehead, his feet and his weapons and on his vahan-the mouse.You can offer Lord Ganesh a garland of red hibiscus flower, 21 blades of durba grass and bel leaves. These should be annointed with red chandan paste as well. Then you can do His aarti with pancha pradeep. The diya wicks should be dipped in ghee. In the centre of the pancha pradeep diya, there is usually a cavity, in that you can add camphor. These all can be lit when you are doing your aarti. Light agarbarti as well. Offer Shri Ganesh some fruits or dry fruits or sweets. What you offer to the Lord depends on you entirely. It depends on your Bhakti Bhav- what you think the Lord will enjoy.
On special days, you can do His puja more elaborately in the morning, by giving Him a snanan (bath) with pancha amrut, then applying aguru or scented/fragrant water. The details are already mentioned in this post. Don’t worry about making any mistake because it is your bhakti that the Lord needs. So enjoy this blissful experience everyday.
If there is anything else you need to know or any further clarifications, please feel free to write in anytime. We will try our best to help you out.
HI, lovely site and imfor. about lord Ganesh.I I am ignorant of the rituals but
i would like to know following “is the day after his birthday 09/03 that you
take the clay figure into the watre ,Can you do with a poster ? and fire it
to take with him bad karma and so when sould be performed and how???
many thks in advance eefor your time, miguelangelo
Hello Miguelangelo,
Thanks for writing in. 3rd Sept 2008 will be celebrated as Ganesh Chaturthi. Regarding your question on immersion of the Lord’s idol, please refer to the following link. This explains the significance and the days on which these events take place.
http://nayna.in/blog/divine-grace/anant-chaturdashi-visarjan-biding-farewell-to-lord-ganesh/
Your second question on igniting a poster of the Lord and burning of bad Karma- well I have never heard of such a ritual. We never burn, tear or cause any damage to our Lord’s photograph or idol. Bad karmas can be burnt off by good deeds and constant rememberance of the Lord. Good Luck
Can any body give the details and meening of the Pranpratishtha mantra which invokes life in the idol?
thank you for detailing the shadoshopachara steps and helping to structure the ganesha chaturthi puja.
best wishes.
HI , thxs for your beatiful page , i have a doubt would very much appreciatte if you can help me , it s a seed manatra like “Om Kleem Shreem Laxshmi”
i read somewhere for what i knew was either one or the other????but the
two together i never heard before , Pls your advise and thxs in advance
regards
Hi Miguelangelo,
Thanks for writing in again. I will request you to read the answer to your question on our article on Goddess Laxmi
http://nayna.in/blog/divine-grace/laxmi-devi-vara-lakshmi-vrata-fasts-observed-to-seek-goddess-laxmi%e2%80%99s-blessings/
Thanks a lot for very precise and wonderful information. Many things like significance of Coconut and other process we follow during puja is now clear, which i was looking for since long.
I found your site while I was looking for “How should I end my fasting of Angaraki” ? and its significance. It would be nice if you can add that in brief in the current page.
Thanks for sharing and spreading Positive vibrations on net.
Akash V
Hello Akash,
Thank you for your appreciation. We have covered Sankashti and Angarakhi in another post. Here is the link to it. http://nayna.in/blog/divine-grace/faq-on-lord-ganesh-part-1/
We have tried to fit in most of the topics that normally any devotee would like to know. But as the article’s length gets too long, we split the topics under seperate headings to provide ease to our readers eyes.
Feel free to write in again and we will try our best to share whatever little knowledge we have been blessed with.
hi…its simply amazing 2 knw d rituals in dis perfect manner. thanx fr d info…
jst a simple question frm my side…
wen is d ganesh festival starting in 2009?
frm wich date its starting? nd wen is d visarjana?
Hello Ritika,
Thanks for your positive and encouraging feedback. 2009 Ganesh Chaturthi is on 23rd Aug, 24th Aug is Rishi Panchami and the 10th day of Visarjan – Anant Chaturdashi is on 3rd Sept 2009.
hello,
the write up was quite enlightening. we plan to visit mumbai for this festival in august could u guide me about the offering made to ganpati on ganesh chaturthi at the pandals and any other ritual which me & my hubby could perform.
Hello Bhavna,
Thanks for writing in. I am sorry to be the one to burst your bubble but these rituals cannot be performed in any pandal. My article describes how the worship can be performed by individuals when they have bought an idol home. Ganesh Chaturthi is one of most lavishly celebrated festival in the state of Maharashtra.
The reality of pandals is that you have to stand for hours in queue just to get a glimpse of the Lord. The rushing and pushing of the crowd is crazy. Plus now there are security agencies who add to the burden of checking bags and even what offerings you want to offer to the Lord. This is the scenario of the well-known pandals. Smaller pandals are scattered in every street corner which are manned by kids and evenings the locals do the aarti. The best offering that you can give in a pandal is just a coconut or some money in the donation box. If you are not used to crowds then I would recommend that you don’t to the pandals that are aired on TV and news channels because the crowds are kept aside for VIP guests. These guests ranging from TV stars, movie stars, film directors and ministers, come when they please and the rest of the public is made to wait endlessly until they finish their darshan, speak to media and only then the common man is allowed in. No one pays any attention even if you complain. Sad, but this is the reality.
If you want to perform any rituals of Lord Ganesh, then I would recommend you either have a pandit/priest come to your residence and you and your husband can sit in peace and perform all the rituals with detailed understanding. Pandals are no longer a place of worship,- that is my personal opinion.
as we stay in rented house can we bring home ganapati idol and perform as per your website instructions?
please give me details.
Hello Lata,
Please read the article attentively, all the rituals mentioned here have to be done by a priest. These steps have to be performed with Vedic Mantras. Whether you live in a rented house or your own flat is not the concern. The point of the matter is that once you bring an idol during Ganesh Chaturthi you will have to do it every year. That is the rule.
Many people make a sankalp(vow) of how many years they will bring the Lord home, while others fix the number of days they will keep the idol. Some keep for 1 and half days, some keep till 5 days, some 7 and the rest till 10. You cannot invoke the idol on your own, you will need special mantras and also before Visarjaan you have to do it in such a way that you do not make the Lord unhappy. So think about these factors before ordering or buying an idol.
please give me some mantras that i can perform at home and how to perform them., please.
Hello Rajeev,
Kindly follow this link to our post on Lord Ganesh’s Mantras. The mantras are translated in English. So we hope this is what you are looking for.
Please note we are not authorized to give any specific mantra to anyone. Whichever mantra you feel easy to recite you can do so.
http://nayna.in/blog/divine-grace/lord-ganesh%e2%80%99s-mantras/
After your bath, you can sit on a mat/asan facing the east, and recite the mantra in your mind with the help of a Jaap mala. This will help you keep track of many rounds of Jaap you do. The jaap mala consists of 108 beads. There are types of Jaap malas, some are of Tulasi, some of rudraskha, others of spatik. I leave the choice of Jaap mala to you. Make sure if you decide to do Jaap, keep a fixed time for this.
Good Luck
thanks the informations are really amazing.can I do abishekam at home .if yes how?please advise me .and kindly tell me what type of idol should I do abishekam.
Hello Kiruthika,
The steps mentioned in the post are the best way to do abhiskek. Kindly follow the rituals mentioned and also glance through the comments by other readers. It will help you understand minor details. You can purchase any idol you wish whether in silver, gold or any other metals. It can be in stone as well like marble, jade, onyx depending on your budget.
Good Luck
The information available on your site is very interesting and useful , thanks for it.
I would like to knew the daily Basic procedure to Worship Lord Ganesh. and mantra to pronounce in correct way.
Hello Rajender,
Thanks for writing in. Daily worship depends on the individual’s bhav or level of devotion and time. One can perform the daily ritual of bathing the Lord with panchamrut, offering flowers, incense, fruits, sweets and end it with aarti. We have a post where Lord Ganesh’s mantras are listed and also the explanation of Atharvashirsha prayer. Kindly search these posts using the search box within this blog.
For accurate pronounciation of the mantras kindly consult a vedic priest who will be able to guide you better.
Best wishes
Hello,
I would like quest what kind of beds I need to use with chanting .I heard about many diffrent types.Is it the best sandal wood beds?
I will thankfull for help.
Best Wishes
Hello Piotr,
Thanks for writing in. Yes, there are various types of beads that are used to recite mantras, actually known as Jaap or Japa. The selection of beads for performing Japa depends on the type of deity you are focusing your mind on.
Lord Shiva’s devotees or Bhakts perform jaap using rudraskh beads. There are millions of varieties of Rudraksh and it is very hard to distinguish and believe who is selling you the authentic ones. But for Jaap purposes always select the smaller sized beads. Lord Krishna’s devotees or Vaishnava’s use Tulasi/ Tulsi beads for Jaap. Some use Sandalwood beads for doing Jaap of Lord Ganesh also. But there are no strict rules as such that you cannot do Jaap of Lord Ganesh if you don’t have the specific beads. You can perform the Jaap using Tulsi beads also. It is ultimately your devotion, focus and one pointedness of the mind that matters when you do jaap.
Hope this helps.
Best Wishes
Hello Nayna,
thank You for response.I know about Tulsi beads are use by Vaishnavas .I quest You about it cause I afraid it could be not compatibilly use Tulsi beads for Ganesh.Tulsi is connected with Lord Krsna pastimes etc.
Best Wishes