Ganesh Chaturthii | Vinayaka Chaturthi | simple steps to have a fulfilling prayer

‘OM VIGNEHSWARAYA NAMAHA’
Meaning : The remover of all obstacles

In this blog :
1. Introduction
2. About our celebration at our home and traditions observed in my native.
3. Procedure I follow on this day with my family.
4. Sharing some glimpse of our ‘manjal pillayar’ pooja.

INTRODUCTION:

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920) is recognized for promoting the Ganesh festival in the late 19th century.
Tilak was a key leader in India’s freedom movement and a social reformer. He was also known as “Lokmanya,” which translates to “People’s Leader.” He proposed that people attend this festival to get to know one another and form a sense of community, which also contributes to peace and harmony among varied communities.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a famous Hindu holiday that commemorates the birth of Lord Ganesha. It is important for numerous reasons:-

1. Lord Ganesha is the god of wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune, as well as the remover of obstacles.
2. The festival is associated with prosperity and good fortune. This tradition has been greatly believed for ages that worshipping Lord Ganesha brings wealth and abundance.
3. In Mumbai, Ganesh Chaturti is the most anticipated festival because we receive numerous invitations from friends and neighbours to seek darshan, and the best part is a weeklong vacation.

ABOUT OUR CELEBRATION AT MY HOME AND TRADITIONS OBSERVED IN MY NAIVE

So being a South Indian  and a person brought up in the city, i have always been fond of celebrating occasions back then. However, because of my city life at my parents’ house, I missed most of the celebration. We never celebrated the way I see in Mumbai because we were all too busy with work and studies.

Ganesh Chaturti is also celebrated on the same day itself in our hometown, with neivedhyam and modak being the only offerings. Previously, while at my parents’ house, I would make ganpati out of soil and pray as I believed. After my marriage, I found my own way to continue celebrating this festival.

Now that my daughter has seen and understood the festival and how it is celebrated, she wants to have Ganpati at home and celebrate in the traditional manner of’sthapana and visarjan’. So I came to the conclusion that I would follow this ritual and began inquiring with my senior friends about how to celebrate this festival, including the do’s and don’ts.

PROCEDURE I FOLLOW ON THIS OCASSION WITH MY FAMILY

So, my daughter is someone who equally shows the same enthusiasm as I do. She is very fond of the tradition and festival at this early age because I have made sure to pass down the culture to her right from the early days. She does all that I do on occasion, from cleaning the house to organizing the pooja mandap. Decorating with flowers and making Rangolis. It really feels so cute and beautiful to see my daughter’s participation.

My husband assists me only when asked; otherwise, he plays no significant role in any given festivals. Sometimes it feels like he is just a visitor in our occasion—haha! Anyway, hoping that he would learn someday how to be a part of any festival.

1. I start by cleaning the pooja mandap in the early hours of morning. keeping all the pooja items ready and washing the idols.
2. After having oiled your head thoroughly, an ubtan bath is a must this day. Wear a dress that is comfortable and neat. I usually wear a saree while preparing, but this time I was too short on time and just went with my regular homewear.
3. I buy pure turmeric powder from the pooja essential shop and make a mountain-shaped sculpture out of it.
4. Sprinkle gangajal every now and then around the things while making this. I keep a clear wish in my heart while shaping the sculpture. offering the kumkum tilak and janeu to the sculpture, which I now believe is Manjal pillayar.
5. I place my ‘manjal pillayar’ (turmeric ganpati) on a clean pooja plate with a banana leaf. This is the sculpture I keep for 1 night (24 hours) and Immerse the next evening after lighting up the lamp.
6. After lighting up the lamp next evening with all necessary rituals, I proceed with the immesrion of manjal pillayar in clean earthenware that I buy, especially from the shop, for this particular proceeding. Once the immersion is done, I will pour this water around a tree near any temple or just let it flow near a clear pond.
7. Neivedhyam on this day comprises of pure vegetable south Indian thaali along with Modak. I also make some paal kozhukatai (Modak/sweet dumpling) that we offer to Lord Ganesha and call it so in our native.
8. That’s all that is my simple and sweet ganpati pooja, which I have been following for over years and years and feel the divine blessing and satisfaction from within.

Now that my daughter attends the Ganpati festival celebrated at our friend’s and neighbour’s house, she is so excited and wants to celebrate the Ganpati festival by bringing home an idol and doing visarjan.
We have never celebrated the Ganpati festival like the Maharashtrian’s do. So it is through my friends that I’m going to be learning this procedure so I don’t end up making any mistakes and start doing it the way my daughter wants very soon.

1. I usually make any simple kolam made with wet rice flour. I lit up the Kuththu vilakku (long lamp) not only occasionally but also on a routine basis.
2. This is my ‘Manjal pillayar,‘ and the floral decoration varies with every year.
3. My simple home temple that has the deities I truly believe in from the bottom of my soul.

1. Offering freshly prepared homemade Modak to modaka priyana gajanana.
2. Then i offer our aarti with Panchamukhi deepak or the Pancha arti diya. (read the end of article for panchamukhi deepak benefits.)

BENEFITS OF PANCHADEEPAK ARTI

1. Prosperity prevails in the house.
2. Vaastu defects of the house are removed.
3. Get blessings of goddess Lakshmi.
4. There is no shortage of money and grains in the house.
5. Happiness and peace come to the house.
6. All negativity gets eliminated from home.
7. Positive energy is transmitted.

Monisha C.