Festival Name : Shree Ganesh Chaturthi
Festival Tithi : Bhadrapad Shu. Chaturthi
सा मध्यव्यापिनी ग्राह्या | दिनद्वये साकल्येन मध्यान्हव्याप्तौ अव्याप्तौ वा |
चतुर्थी गणनाथस्य मातृविद्धा प्रशस्यते |
अस्यां चन्द्रदर्षने मिथ्याभिः दूषणं दोषः ||
The festival is performed at Full Moon Chaturthi and it is custom of not watching moon on this day. If it happens then the mistake is corrected by uttering this verse,
सिंहः प्रसेनमवधीत सिंहो जाम्बवता हतः |
सुकुमारक मा रोदिस्तव ह्येष स्यमन्तकः ||” (तिथीतत्त्व)
Idol of Lord Ganesh
Generally the idol of Lord Ganesh is made by clay and is about one feet. Also the various rituals performed in this worship are done by the use of Durva(Grass) or flowers.
Puja Procedure
The traditional worshiping method of this festival can be explained as follows,
- Vandan : Respect to all the seniors of the house and parents before starting the puja and go ahead with their permission.
- Achaman / Pranayam : Do Achaman (process of self purification) and Pranayam (process of body purification)
- Devata Smaran : Remember all the deities and idols who made you able to reach this sacred moment of doing this Vrat
कुलदेवताभ्यो नमः| ग्रामदेवताभ्यो नमः| एतत् कर्म प्रधान देवताभ्यो नमः| सर्वेभ्यो देवेभ्यो नमो नमः|
- Sankalp : Taking Oath which describes your motive behind performing this Puja and Main Deity of this Puja. (It is taken by holding water in your hand and then releasing it in any pot before you.)
प्रतिवार्षिक विहितं पार्थिव सिद्धिविनायक देवता प्रीत्यर्थं यथाज्ञानेन यथाशक्ति सहित
प्राणप्रतिष्ठापूर्वकं ध्यान – आवाहनादि षोडशोपचार पूजनं अहं करिष्ये|
तत्रादौ निर्विघ्नता सिध्यर्थं महागणपति स्मरणं शरीर शुध्यर्थं षडङ्गन्यासं पृथ्वी, कलश, शङ्ख, घण्टा पूजनं च करिष्ये |
- Shree Ganesh Smaranam :
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सुर्यकोटि समप्रभ |निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा || श्रीगणेशाय नमः ||
- Pruthvi (Earth) Pujanam :
पृथ्वी त्वया धृता लोका देवि त्वं विष्णुना धृता | त्वं च धारय मां देवी पवित्रं कुरु चासनम् || भूम्यै नमः ||
- Nyas Vidhi : Purification of mind and body are attained by uttering “विष्णवे नमः |”, 12 times.
- Kalash Pujanam :
कलशस्य मुखे विष्णुः कण्ठे रुद्रः समाश्रितः |
मूले तत्रस्थितो ब्रह्मा मध्ये मातृगणाः स्मृताः || कलशाय नमः ||
- Shankh Pujanam :
त्वं पुरा सागरोत्पन्नो विष्णुना विधृतः करे |
नमितः सर्व देवैश्च पाञ्चजन्य नमोस्तुते || शङ्खाय नमः ||
- Ghanta Pujanam :
आगमार्थं तु देवानां गमनार्थं तु राक्षसाम् |
कुर्वे घण्टारवं तत्र देवताव्हान लक्षणम् || घण्टायै नमः ||
- Deep Pujanam :
भो दीप ब्रह्म रूपस्त्वं ज्योतिषां प्रभुरव्ययः |
आरोग्यं देहि पुत्रांश्च सर्वान्कामान्प्रयच्छ मे || दीपदेवताभ्यो नमः ||
- Atma Shuddhi: Water from the Shankha is sprinkled over puja material and self
शङ्खोदकेन पूजाद्रव्याणि संप्रोक्ष्य आत्मानं च प्रोक्षेत् |
प्राणप्रतिष्ठा विधी
Then perform the process of “प्राणप्रतिष्ठा” i.e. establishing our pure emotions and sacred beliefs in Lord Ganesh. The following Shlokas are chanted
अस्यैः प्राणाः प्रतिष्ठन्तु अस्यैः प्राणाः क्षरन्तु च | अस्यै देवत्वमर्चायै मा महेतिच कच्चन ||
अस्यां मूर्तौ मम प्राण इह प्राणाः | अस्यां मूर्तौ मम जीव इह स्थितः ||
श्री सिद्धिविनायकाय नमः |
पूर्वपूजन
- ध्यान : Take akshat (rice grain), flowers in your hand and utter the following Shlokas Praising the main deity of this puja. Then put it on Lord Ganesh,
एकदन्तं शूर्पकर्णं गजवक्त्रं चतुर्भुजं |
पाशान्कुशधरं देवं ध्यायेत् सिद्धिविनायकम् ||
श्री सिद्धीविनायकाय नमः || ध्यानं समर्पयामि ||
- Other Formal Rituals : Then perform आवाहन (Invitation to God), आसन (Giving Seat), पाद्य (Washing Gods legs), अर्घ्य (Washing Hands), आचमन (Water to drink), पंचामृतस्नान, गंधोदक स्नान, मांगलिक स्नान, शुद्धोदक स्नान (All these are various baths followed by pure water every time) by uttering “ श्री सिद्धीविनायकाय नमः ||”at every time.
- Pre-Pujan : Then worship the God with dhup, deep and Naivedyam of ‘panchamruta’ and start the Abhisheka by offering some flowers.
- Abhisheka : It is performed by sprinkling water on the image of the God by flower. Shri Ganpati Atharvashirsha chanted at this occasion
- Post-pujan : Again यज्ञोपवीत (offering sacred thread), कापसाचे वस्त्र (clothes), गंध (Tilak), अक्षत (Rice), फुले (Flowers), Haldi – Kumkum, Sindur, अलंकार (Garlands and Ornaments) are offered to the lord Shiva by chanting “ श्री सिद्धीविनायकाय नमः ||”
- Anga- Pujanam : Take akshat (Rice) in your hand and put it on the fourteen ogans of the God from legs to head.
लंबोदराय नमः | – उदरं पूजयामि ||, गौरीसुताय नमः | – स्तनौ पूजयामि ||
गणपायकाय नामः | – हृदयं पूजयामि ||, स्थूलकर्णाय नमः | – कण्ठं पूजयामि ||
स्कन्दाग्रजाय नमः| – स्कन्धौ पूजयामि||, पाशहस्ताय नमः | – हस्तौ पूजयामि ||
गजवक्त्राय नमः | – वक्त्रं पूजयामि ||, विघ्नहर्त्रे नमः | – ललाटं पूजयामि ||
सर्वेश्वराय नमः | – शिरः पूजयामि ||, गणाधिपाय नमः | – सर्वाङ्गं पूजयामि ||
- Patra-Pujanam : This worship is performed by offering available leaves of various trees such as,
गणेश्वराय नमः | – पादौ पूजयामि ||, विघ्नराजाय नमः | – जानुनी पूजयामि ||
आखुवाहनाय नमः | – ऊरु पूजयामि ||, हेरंबाय नमः | – कटीं पूजयामि ||
सुमुखाय नमः | – मधुमालती समर्पयामि ||, गणाधिपाय नमः | – बिल्वं समर्प.||
गजाननाय नमः | – श्वेत दुर्वा ||, लंबोदराय नमः | – बोरी ||
हरसूनवे नमः | – धोतरा ||, गजकर्णकाय नमः | – तुलसी ||
वक्रतुण्डाय नमः | – शमी ||, गुहाग्रजाय नमः | – आघाडा ||
एकदन्ताय नमः | – डोरली ||, विकटाय नमः | – कण्हेर ||
कपिलाय नमः | – रुई ||, गजदन्ताय नमः | – अर्जुन ||
विघ्नराजाय नमः | – विष्णुक्रान्ता ||, बटवे नमः | – डाळिम्ब ||
सुराग्रजाय नमः | – देवदार ||, भालचन्द्राय नमः | – मारवा ||
हेरंबाय नमः | – पिंपळ ||, चतुर्भुजाय नमः | – जाई ||
विनायकाय नमः | – केवडा ||, सर्वेश्वराय नमः | – हदगा ||
- Pushp-Pujanam : This includes worshiping of Lord Ganesh by Various flowers such as, चाफा, केवडा, कण्हेर, बकुळ, धोतरा, सुर्यकमळ, कमळ, जास्वंद, मोगरा etc.
- It is followed by Dhup, Dip, Naivedyam, Dakshina, Arati, Mantrapushpam, Pradakshina and Namaskaram.
- Durva Pujanam : This includes worshiping of Lord Ganesh by Durva (Grass) by uttering these mantras followed by “दुर्वायुग्मं समर्पयामि |”
गणाधिपाय नमः | – दुर्वायुग्मं समर्प. ||, उमापुत्राय नमः | – दुर्वायुग्मं समर्प. ||
अघनाशनाय नमः | – दुर्वायुग्मं समर्प. ||, विनायकाय नमः | – दुर्वायुग्मं समर्प. ||
ईशपुत्राय नमः | – दुर्वायुग्मं समर्प. ||, सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायकाय नमः | – दुर्वायुग्मं समर्प. ||
एकदन्ताय नमः | – दुर्वायुग्मं समर्प. ||, इभवक्त्राय नमः | – दुर्वायुग्मं समर्प. ||
आखुवाहनाय नमः | – दुर्वायुग्मं समर्प. ||, कुमारगुरवे नमः | – दुर्वायुग्मं समर्प. ||
- Last Durva is offered by saying following Shloka
गणाधिप नमस्तेस्तु उमापुत्राघनाशन | एकदन्त भवक्त्रेति तथा मूषकवाहन ||
विनायकेशपुत्रेति सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायक | कुमारगुरवे नित्यं पूजनीयः प्रयत्नतः ||
दूर्वामेकां समर्पयामि ||
- After this Dhup, Dip, Naivedyam, Dakshina, Arati, Mantrapushpam, Pradakshina and Namaskaram is done.
एकदन्ताय विद्महे वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि | तन्नो दन्तिः प्रचोदयात् ||
मन्त्रपुष्पाञ्जलिं समर्पयामि ||
- Prayer to God
विनायक गणेशान सर्व देव नमस्कृत |पार्वती प्रिय विघ्नेश मम विघ्ननिवारय ||
- Completion of Puja : Water is released from the hand by saying “अनेन यथाज्ञानेन कृत पूजनेन तेन श्री सिद्धिविनायक देवताः प्रीयेताम् |”
- At some regions ‘Vayan-Dan’ (special offering of Modakas) is given to the Pandits.
Shree Ganesh Visarjan
By uttering the following verse rice grains are offered to Lord Ganesh. It indicates the completion of this festival and return of invited Deity of the festival.
यान्तु देवगणाः सर्वे पूजामादाय पार्थिवीम् | इष्टकाम प्रसिध्यर्थं पुनरागमनाय च ||
The Idol of Lord Ganesh is dipped in water and then the water is released towards plants and trees.
Importance
- It is one of the important festivals in India celebrated traditionally since long years.
- Lord Ganesh is worshiped before starting any work. It is said that He keeps away from upcoming dangers and fatalities.
- Chaturthi Tithi indicates attaining supreme state. The state beyond Jagruti, Svapna, Sushupti Avastha.
- According to Ganesh Puran there are four main incarnations of Lord Ganesh as, महोत्कट विनायक, गुणेश, गणेश and धुम्रकेतू
- Also people believe that remembering or worshiping Lord Ganesh is important because He gives proper direction to the thoughts and ideas of his devotees.