How to Perform Ganesh Staphna
The following information will give you all the details on the vidhis and the procedures to Performing Ganesh Staphma on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi.
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Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi is one of the most colorful and widely celebrated festivals in India. Large numbers of people observe Ganesha Chaturthi poojas at home. Whereas most people prefer to call pundits home on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi to perform the Ganehs Staphna, majority of the people also prefer to perform the rituals by them-selves with sampoorna bhavna and prem.
Here is an explanation on how to perform Ganesha pooja and Staphna at home as mentioned in Hindu scriptures.
The pooja can be led by any one of the family members and others should join in. God worship is enjoyed by everyone. Pooja means the traditional ceremony by which God is worshipped. However, the devotion is the indispensable part of any pooja, by which, even simple gestures and poojas are like sacred rituals.
Before entering the shrine room, all the attendees should take bath, dress in clean clothes and bring a small offering of flowers or fruits. Generally fruits offered are bananas, mangos, sweet limes, pomegranates and jackfruit.
Firstly, Prepare the kalash: take a kalash and fill it with clean drinking water, add to the water 1 supari, Rs. 1, 25 paise coins, haldi and kumkum, some attar (perfume oil), place 5 paan leaves, and finally the coconut. Decorate the coconut and the paan leaves with haldi and kumkum.
Next, prepare the sthaan where Ganpati will sit. Do that by spreading a handful of kacha rice grains on the place. Over the rice grains, place one supaari and put haldi and kumkum on the supari. Over that place some dakshina. Reciting "Ganpati Bappa Moriya", we must place the Ganpati Idol over this preparation.
The worship begins with the "Sthapana" (establishment) of the idol. 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.
Then recite the following mantra:
❝ 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)
- Once the Idol has been stapith, you must spread 5 paan leaves.
- Over each of the paan leaf, keep 1 supari each, then put haldi and kumkum.
- Having done that, place 1 akhrot, 1 badaam, and 1 khareek each on each paan leaf
- After that place the five different fruits, one over each paan leaf.
You are now ready for lifting the cover of Ganesh Ji!
(If you bring Ganpati home one day prior, we cover Him with decorative vastra). You can life the vastra now chanting Ganpati Bappa Moriya!
After lifting the vastra, you must remove the black dhaaga. Clean the Murti with a dry paint brush.
PLEASE NOTE: WASHING GOD'S HANDS AND LEGS IS SYMBOLIC. DO NOT ACTUALLY DO THE SAME. SIMILARLY FOR ABHISHEKH WITH MILK, NECTAR, CURD SHOULD NOT BE DONE ON THE MURTI (IDOL).
Offer Him the shringar in form of the Mukut, Mala/Maitri, Bracelets, Vastra For Murti. Put a garland of fresh flowers over Ganpati Bappa.
Offer and put on His forehead, haldi, pinjar, abhil, gulal, ashtagandh and sindhoor. Also offer His vahan, undhir mama, the Mouse.
Offer Ganpati Bappa and undhir mama (mouse), the prasad which is His favourite, the Modaks. The recipe for the Modaks can be found here. These can be made at home or can also be bought from out. For people residing out of India, you can find a very easy recipe on our website on the link mentioned above.
Keep a red pooja dhaga next to Ganpati Bappa, this can later be tied on hands of all family members after the First Aarti.
Once the 'Pranpratishtha' is done, then you need to light the lamp and incense sticks to please the 'God'.
After this you have to perform the ' Shhodashopachara ', which are 16 forms of paying tribute to Shree Ganesha.
(This ritual is usually performed by the priests, you can skip this.)
- Here you offer 21 Druva grass blades, 21 Modakas, and Flowers to Ganesha.
- You need to apply a Tikka of red Sandalwood paste on the forehead of the Deity and keep the coconut along with the idol.
- Offer 21 blades of Druva Grass
- Offer 21 modaks
- 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).
- The number 21 signifies - the five organs of perception, five organs of action, five vital airs (pranas), five elements, and the mind.
- Using a Diya wick, make and light the Akhand Jyot (the diya), and the aarti thaali is to be lit which can have the agarbattis, dhoop, (insense and fragrance) and camphor tablets to be lit during Aarti
- The Shahad and khadi shakar should be offered to Ganpati
- One can also offer chandan now
- Keep the prasad you have prepared in front of Ganesh Ji, sprinkle with ganga jal
- You can also recite the 108 salutations dedicated to Lord Ganesha or read the Ganesha Upanishad or just simply pray.
You are ready for the Aarti! You can sing Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh and Sukh Karta Dukh Harta.
After the Aarti, the family members should gather in front of Ganesh Ji, keep a coconut next to Him and say, "Dear Ganesh Ji, we welcome you to our home. In our offer of prayers, incase we have committed any mistakes, knowingly or unknowingly, kindly forgive us. We pray on behalf of all of us to make this Chaturthi a blessed one. Keep us all happy and healthy always". You are welcome to add your prayers here.
PLEASE NOTE: It is essential to ask for forgiveness at this time while placing the coconut. On the day of the visarjan, this coconut should also be immersed in the water.
You can also tape-record this entire Staphna for your memory with the Mini DV cassettes.
Thereafter, all of the family members bow down to Ganesha and ask for God's blessings to fulfill all their desire.
While performing Ganesha Pooja 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.
Pooja Explanation
Hindu Rituals involve the Pancha/Five Upacharas/offerings.
They are namely;
- Gandham (Fragrance) in the form of white or red Sandalwood paste,
- Dhupam (Lighting of Incense Sticks)
- Deepam (Lighting of Oil or ghee Lamps)
- Naivedyam (Sanctified Offerings of fruits, sweetmeats etc.) and Modak and Motichoor Ladoos
- Pushpam (Pushpa-Flowers). The Hibiscus or the Shoe flower is a favorite of the Lord. Dhurva Grass malas are also quite popular.
Coconut for Vinayaka Chaturthi
Before beginning any pooja, these materials should be kept handy. Take a bath, cleanse yourself and then stand with folded hands in front of the deity and offer all the above. Wet whole coconut (peeled off the exterior husk) but with a small stalk of husk on the top symbolizes the Bramhin or purest offering to the Lord.
Breaking of this coconut or the act of 'Chadur Thenga'.
What items are favorites of the Lord
Modak for Ganesh Chaturthi-Vinayakar Chavithi
Modak:The Lord Ganesha has a special liking for the sweet dumplings- Modak/Kozhukattai and Laddoo. Ganesha's mother Parvati made tasty modaks for Her son, hence he is especially fond of them. Read HERE how to make home-made Modaks.
Durva: (Three blade grass, Trefoil) is also offered to Ganesh. There are many interesting facts relating to why Durva is offered. Once Ganesha destroyed a demon called Analan , by swallowing him. The demon went inside and burnt the 14 worlds situated inside Ganesha, thus causing enormous heat. Ganesha searched for Durva Grass and wore it as a garland to nullify the heat inside. Durva is a substance known to create heat and by the principles of two negatives make things positive, the heat was quenched. Durva/Dhurva Grass is therefore used as a supreme offering in Ganesha Puja. Make a dhurva garland by combining several dhurvas together and tying them in a mala/garland for the Lord.
Shoe flower/Hibiscus: First of all, the red color of the flower is a personal favorite of the Lord and then the Hibiscus-Shoe flower-Red in color is Ganesha s favorite
5 petals of the Hibiscus denotes the warding of negative energy and the welcome of the positive energy into the Universe. On a more practical level, it is the seasonal flower of the Bhadrapad month of the monsoons, hence our ancients have advocated this particular flower. Especially the color red is highly auspicious.