How To Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi At Home – Simple Ganesh Chaturthi Puja At Home

Ganesh chaturthi

I wanted to make a post on How to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi at home during last year itself. So I had clicked pictures of our Ganesh chaturthi pooja procedure / Puja Vidhanam and kept in draft. In this post, I have shared how to perform a simple Ganesh chaturthi pooja at home, festival date, things required for pooja and Vinayagar/Ganesha abishekam items list and its benefits, pooja procedure, Ganesh chaturthi neivedyam/prasadam recipes like Kozhukattai varieties and appam recipes with links.

Please check THIS POST for complete Ganesh chaturthi Pooja vidhanam/Puja vidhi with sloka and mantras in PDF format. I have also shared a short video on how to make an eco friendly Ganesha idol using kozhukattai maavu/Kozhukatte dough. Hope you find these ideas useful 🙂

This year 2023, Vinayagar Chaturthi festival falls on September 18th, Monday as per Vaakiya panchangam. Time to perform pooja – Auspicious time of the day as per the calender ( Nalla neram). Avoid Rahu Kalam and Yama Kandam. Usually we do the pooja in the afternoon. i.e after 12 noon based on the day.

Ganesha is the Lord who is first worshipped before any holy occasion or puja. Ganesh Chaturthi also known as ‘Vinayak Chaturthi’ or ‘Vinayaka Chavithi’ is celebrated by Hindus all around the world as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is observed during the Hindu month of Bhadra in Hindi /Avani in Tamil (mid-August to mid-September). He is revered as the preserver of all good things and prevents Vigna (meaning obstruction/bad omen). His motto is Shubh-Laabh (good prospect and good prosperity).

Generally Ganesh Chaturthi preparations commence from almost a month before the festival. The celebrations last for around ten days (from Bhadrapad Shudh Chaturthi to Ananta Chaturdashi). On the 11th day, the idol is taken through the streets in a procession and immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of all the people.

At home, Ganesha pooja starts from bringing or making a clay idol of Lord Ganesha. Various special food items are cooked for offering/Neivedyam (bhog). Although there are a large number of sweets offered to Lord Ganesha during the pooja, Modak is known to be the lord`s favorite sweet and is therefore one of the main dishes made on this day. Other dishes include Karanji, laddu, barfi, peda, vada, sundal and appam.

The idol is given a bath(Abishek) with scented water and then decorated with flowers. Jyoti is lit and then the aarti begins. People read Ganesh Chaturthi story after pooja. Various bhajans and mantras are chanted at this time. It is believed that chanting the mantras with complete devotion brings life to the idol. It is also believed that during this period, Ganesha visits the home of his devotees and bring prosperity and good fortune with him.  He removes all the obstacles that you experience on the spiritual path. Along with Ganesha, Gouri idol is also placed in South Indian families and worshipped. Gouri Vrata is performed as “Mangala Gauri” by women for good life and prosperity.

Source: Hinduism.org and Yahoo.com

Let me share our celebration procedures with list of items for abishekam, Pooja and neivedyam. Hope you all find it useful. Please consult with your mom or mil and do the pooja accordingly.

I have also shared the audio links in Tamil, Telugu for Ganesh chaturthi Pooja Vidhanam. I have also shared a youtube video link for Ganesh chaturthi Pooja vidhi in Hindi. Please refer the end of  “How to do Pooja” section for the links.

Click this Video on how to make Homemade Ganesh using Kozhukattai dough.

Visit my in-laws blog for Ganesh Chaturthi Kolam/Rangoli ideas


Here is the video on making Ganesha idol using kozhukattai maavu/Modak dough.


How to celebrate Ganesh chaturthi at home



Ingredients list for pooja and neivedyam

For Abhishekam and Pooja
  • Ganesh idol
  • Flowers 
  • Milk
  • Curd
  • Honey
  • Tender coconut water
  • Water
  • Rice flour
  • Sesame oil
  • Turmeric powder
  • Shikakai powder
  • Kumkum, Sandal paste
  • Panchamirtham (Sweet delicacy consisting of Panch(5) items: Milk, Sugar, Ghee (clarified butter), Honey, Bananas.  
    Ganesh chaturthi pooja
For Decoration and pooja
  • Vastram for Ganesha ( New blouse bit or dhoti cloth)
  • Mupiri nool for poonool ( 3 threaded string)
  • ArugamPul (Bermuda grass (English). Arugampul (Tamil). Dhub (Hindi). Durva (Sanskrit). Karuka (Malayalam). Garikagoddi (Telugu). Garikoihallu (Kannada))
  • Vellerukku Malai ( refer the above picture)
  • Tulsi can be used for decoration but its allowed only on this festival day.
  • Flowers
  • Kumkum and Sandal powder
  • Incense stick
  • Camphor
  • Sesame oil and ghee for lamp
  • All Fruits, coconut, betel leaves & betel nut for offering
  • Banana leaf
  • Turmeric powder for manjal pillayar
    For Neivedyam recipes
  • Coconut
  • Jaggery
  • Chana dal/Moong dal
  • Sugar
  • Besan
  • Urad dal
  • Green chillies, ginger, salt ( for pooran)
  • Raw rice for payasam
  • Urad dal for vada
  • Wheat flour,banana & jaggery for appam
  • Sesame seeds for ellu urundai
  • Click HERE to see the no onion no garlic lunch menu cooking with ingredients
how to celebrate ganesh chaturthi

On the previous day morning, make pooran and laddu( if making). Store in a box. On the same day night, wash all the lamps, put the thread, oil & keep it ready for pooja. Soak chana for sundal & urad dal for vada. 

Generally we do the neivedyam in the noon or during the auspicious time of chaturthi day. Usually it happens in the afternoon. We also make full meals like rice, sambar, poriyal, thayir pachadi on that day. So we prepare the lunch recipes, vada, kozhukattai recipes and sundal on chaturthi morning. Start cooking around 8 am in the morning. You can finish everything by 11am.

 If you keep the pooran ready, you can make 21 kozhukattai in 30-45 minutes. In that 45 minutes, you can pressure cook dal for sambar. Inside the cooker, keep a tiffin box with the chopped vegetables for poriyal or kootu. Prepare the rice in another cooker. By this time, you can make kozhukattai and steam it. Make Dal, sambar, poriyal, pachadi and keep them ready for neivedyam. Click HERE to see how to cook a no onion no garlic lunch menu easily.

Before starting abhishekam, draw the Rangoli using rice flour paste( Maakolam) in the entrance and the place where you are going to do the pooja.

Abhishekam Order


how to celebrate ganesh chaturthi


Benefits & List of items for Ganesha Abishekam
PANCHAGAVYAM – Removes all sins of mankind
PANCHAMRUTHAM – Gives wealth
GHEE- Gives Moksha state
MILK – Gives long life
CURD – Gives Good Children
HONEY – Melodious voice
RICE POWDER – Frees from debts
SUGAR CANE JUICE – Gives good health and removes enmity
LEMON JUICE – Removes fear of death
TENDER COCONUT JUICE – Gives enjoyment and full satisfaction in life
SANDAL PASTE – Gives Lakshmi’s Grace
SUGAR – Removes enmity 

Source : http://www.teluguone.com/devotional/content/what-are-things-used-in-shiva-abhishekam-its-effects-56-27598.html#sthash.kCQAROkq.dpuf
how to celebrate ganesh chaturthi
Abhishekam should be done by the elders of the family. 
But in our house, my daughter sits with my husband and do the abhishekam when she was young 🙂 Take all the abhishekham items in a plate as shown in the picture. Keep a bowl full of water. Keep some flowers in a plate. Keep an incense stick and a camphor ready. Take a wide plate ( thambaalam). Keep a wooden plank inside it and keep the Ganesh idol. Start the abhishekam by putting some flowers and few drops of water. Before doing abhishekam, keep this mind.


Ganesh idol should not fall down during abhishekam. So do not pour more water and touch the idol carefully with support. First do the sesame oil abhishekam, then apply shikakai powder. Wash it well by adding water. Then apply turmeric powder. Light the incense stick and show the dhoop & dheep. Mix rice flour in water and do the abhishekam. Then comes milk, lemon juice, tender coconut water, curd, panchamirtham followed by honey. Collect the panchamirtham with honey in a plate. Pour some water and then continue with sandal paste, kumkum and lastly viboodhi abhishekam. Finish the abhishekam with little milk. Show the dheepam.

Pour water and start to decorate the Ganesh. Collect all the abhishekam water in the wide plate and pour in tulsi plant or under some trees. Put a poonool/Mupiri nool (3 thread string) from left to right keeping Ganesha facing towards you. Then wear a new cloth for the idol. Decorate with Vellerukku malai, arugampul malai and flowers. (If you are using homemade clay Ganesha, pour water and other abhishekam items only in spoons else Ganesha will dissolve in water). After abhishekam & decoration, start doing the pooja.

You can chant this Ganesha Gayathri mantram while doing Abhishekam.
“Om Tatpurushaya Vidmahe Vakratundaya dheemahi, Tanno Danti Prachodayat”

How to do Ganesha pooja

Ganesh chaturthi celebration at home

Please check THIS POST for complete Ganesh chaturthi Pooja vidhanam/Puja vidhi with slokhas in PDF format. 

Take the decorated Ganesh and place it over peeta/Wooden plank. Light the lamp on the sides of Ganesha. Keep a small turmeric Ganesha( made of turmeric powder mixed with little water) nearby the idol. Keep kumkum & flowers. Place a plate with 5 types of fruits, coconut, betel leaves & nuts in front of the God.

In another plate or banana leaf, spread the nevideyam recipes.Kozhukattai varieties comes to the left side of Ganesha. Rice and other items has to be kept in the usual order. Refer picture for the idea. Keep payasam and aval.pori kadalai/Puffed rice with peanuts in small bowls. Chant Ganesha ashtothram and do the archanai. Then show the dhoop & dheep. Finally do the mangala aarti.Finish the pooja.


Some people have the practice of keeping Kalash and do the pooja. So I have made a separate post about “Pooja Vidhanam/Puja Vidhi” with mantras in PDF format. You can download it and use if interested. Please check THIS POST .


On Chaturthi evening, make wheat flour appam and do the neivedyam. The next day morning, you can keep idli for neivedyam or simply fruits would do. On afternoon, keep dal & rice with ghee for neivedyam. Continue this neivedyam till Ganesha stays in your house.

Ganesha Visarjan

The next day or the third day, take the ganesha idol along with flowers & vastram, some puffed rice, jaggery and fried gram dal (Do not remove anything from idol) and put it in water. Let the Ganesh idol dissolve in water and take away all the misfortunes of people.



AUDIO, VIDEO LINKS

  1. Click this LINK for Pooja Vidhanam Video, Audio in Telugu
  2. Check this LINK , LINK for Pooja Vidhanam Audio in Tamil
  3. For Hindi version,check this youtube video LINK

Neivedyam Recipes


Easy sweet pooran kozhuakattai
Moong dal pooran kozhukattai

Ammini kozhukattai

3 kozhukattai varieties

Easy paal kozhukkattai
Easy Urad dal pooran kozhukattai

Sweet appam recipe
  
Paal kozhukattai with jagggery

Sweet samosa / Karjikai recipe

Please click this LINK for full collection of neivedyam recipes. This LINK for Kozhukattai making Videos & Homemade Ganesh idol using rice flour dough.

Disclaimer : I have shared the procedures based on our tradition. Please take the as a reference,consult the elders of your family and do the pooja as per your practice. Beginners can follow this if you don’t have any specific procedure at home.

Hope you find this post useful. Wish you all a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi !
Thanks for visiting this page!!

Related Posts

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

34 thoughts on “How To Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi At Home – Simple Ganesh Chaturthi Puja At Home”

  4. priya

    Hi chitra ,
    Recently came to see ur blog… u have more patience to type all with procedures.I m pregnant ur millet recipes helps me lot now my mom too follows those recipe and my neighbours too ..all appreciates ur recipes and those credits goes to you ..thank you so much ..this post helps me a lot like ur varalakshmi procedures..thanks again from my family n neighbours 🙂

    Reply
  5. stalin.R

    this is stalin.R. thank u for such a brief pooja procedure. we are beginners of this kind of pooja. did successfully krishna jayanthi pooja the same as how u prescribed. now its time for ganapathy pooja as well. i asked my amma to do the same manner as given by you. thank u once again

    Reply
  14. Unknown

    Hi sir , this is my 1st pooja at home in Dubai, by God grace I can arrange list of items mentioned in ur information. Please give me ur contact. natarajjy@gmail.
    Thanks
    Nataraj

    Reply
  15. vinod kumar.P.B

    Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.
    Thank you so much for providing so many details and for your valuable time.
    I have brought all the mentioned item for Pooja.
    Really it is amazing and superb information.

    Regards,
    Vinod

    Reply
  16. vinod kumar.P.B

    Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.
    Thank you so much for providing so many details and for your valuable time.
    I have brought all the mentioned item for Pooja.
    Really it is amazing and superb information.

    Regards,
    Vinod

    Reply
  17. vinod kumar.P.B

    Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.
    Thank you so much for providing so many details and for your valuable time.
    I have brought all the mentioned item for Pooja.
    Really it is amazing and superb information.

    Regards,
    Vinod

    Reply
  18. Unknown

    Nice blog.Thank you for sharing your great information with us. Ganesh Chaturthi also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi. It is one of the popular Hindu Festival celebrated in India. This year it falls on 25th August ,2017. Worshipping Lord Ganesha on the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi to get rid of your bad karma. He uplifts the devotees to great heights and finds solutions to all problems. He also bestows the devotees with success in life. To Know More Details Click Here

    Reply
  21. sue2006

    Bless you dear. I was looking for proper guidelines on how to perform the prayers this year. Thank you so much for your detailed description.

    Reply
  22. Nanthini

    went through this post for my first pillayar chaturthi alone. at my house they usually buy the mud pillayar big size wont it dissolve if i do the abisheka? i have never seen anyone do abisheka for the idol. my mom used to keep a smallar bronze pillayar which is alwsys at home and do abishek for that. is it ok to do like that? and while taking the idol out to put in water should i take the umbrella too with it?

    Reply
    1. Chitra

      Hi, we pour less water on the idol while abhishekam. As you said, you can follow your mom by doing abhishekam for bronze idol. I usually leave the umbrella too. It's your wish 😊

      Reply
Scroll to Top