Ganesh Chaturthi is just around the corner, and everyone is busy prepping for the arrival of our favorite lord Ganesh. The 10-day festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great zeal across Maharashtra and other states in India. Most of us bring Ganesh murti (idol) at home and seek blessing from the lord of wisdom. If you are wondering how to perform Ganesh Pooja at home this year, here is a detailed guide for your help.
Ganesh Chaturthi: History
The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi has been around for ages and signifies the birth of Lord Ganesh. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj encourages people to come together and celebrate the festival despite the Mughal restriction to portray unity.
Even during the Independence struggle in 1893, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak insisted people celebrate the festival together to inculcate the spirit of unity and to get people of different cultures together. It also worked as a protest against the British government’s prohibition of Hindu gatherings.
Since then, Ganesh Chaturthi has been celebrated in homes and communities with great zeal and festivities. Ganesh pandals are marked by decorations and lighting, creating a happy atmosphere for ten days.
Guide to do Ganesh pooja at home
This year Ganesh Chaturthi will fall on 31st August. With only a few days left, follow these steps to perform a hassle-free pooja at home:
Clean the house
The festival calls for a great family gathering, and the preparations in all homes begin with cleaning the house and ensuring all things are in place. Decorate the pandal or altar as Ganesha’s seat, where the idol resides for ten days. Clean your house three or four days before to avoid last minute rush.
Holy bath
On the day of the arrival of Ganesh, get up early, bathe, and get ready. Head over with your family member to get your Ganesh idol home. Some people also create their own idols or use a permanent idol they often use at home.
Establish the idol
After reaching home with the idol, set it in its special pandal, which usually involves a high platform or altar. Spread a clean new cloth on the platform and draw rangoli around it. Set up the idol and adorn it with floral ornaments.
Ganesh pooja
Follows these steps to perform Ganesh Pooja:
- Give a holy bath to the idol with rose water, panchamrit, sandal paste, etc.
- After wiping the idol clean with a cloth, the next step involves applying sandal paste and vermilion. This is known as Gandham.
- The further steps involve offering flowers to the idol (Pushpam)
- Light coconut oil, ghee, oil lamps (Deepam), and incense sticks (Dhupam).
- Next offer sweets like modaks, fruits, and other delicacies to the lord (Naivedyam).
- The final step involves offering flowers (Pushpam) like jasmine, marigold, etc.
What will you need: Pooja Samagri (things)
While the pooja involves basic things, here are a few things you will need handy:
- Ganesh idol
- Rice (akshata)
- Mango leaves
- Lamps
- Red cloth
- Camphor
- Incense sticks
- Loban cups or dhoop cones
- Fruits (5)
- Flowers
- Betel leaves
- Modaks
- Attar (fragrant scent)
Final thoughts
This year’s Ganesh Chaturthi is around the corner, and we know how busy you must be preparing for the festivities. Are you set to welcome Ganesha to your home?
Make this Ganesh Chaturthi special with this ultimate pooja guide to perform Ganesh pooja at home. Use premium quality incense products from Satya Incense to make your festivities special. Satya Incense is a leading incense stick manufacturing brand in India. The company offers organic and handmade agarbattis, making them the best agarbatti brand.
