Ganesh Puja Vidhi

Ganesha is welcomed home by devotees everywhere with a lot of fanfare. Celebrated for 1 ½, 5, 7 or 10 days, Bappa arrives home as a guest and is appeased in the duration of his stay with his favourite foods, choicest decorations and Pujas or prayers as per vidhi.
A lot of people these days call Pundit’s home to perform the puja. But if you wish to do so on your own, please see below…

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
* 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 etc

START WITH

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 GANESHA

Sweep 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-PARTISHTHA

You 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 ||

Meaning
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.

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.