Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi is the festival of the birth of Lord Ganesh. Ganesh ji is regarded as Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles, and the deity of wisdom, learning and success. He is worshipped before every auspicious undertaking. During the festival an idol of Ganesh ji is installed in homes and pandals and is immersed a few days later. In Maharashtra, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak gave it the form of a public festival in 1893, and from then on the large pandal Ganeshotsav took shape.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the Chaturthi of the Shukla Paksha of the Bhadrapada month. The festival usually lasts ten days and ends with the immersion on Anant Chaturdashi. Many families immerse the idol after one and a half, three, five or seven days. It is believed that Ganesh ji was born at midday, so Madhyahna Kaal is considered the best time for installation and puja. The date is given above; check the exact muhurat in the Panchang for your city.

• Idol of Ganesh ji (a clay idol is best for the environment), a chowki, a red or yellow cloth • Kalash, water, mango leaves, coconut • Durva (21 knots), red flowers (hibiscus), garland, sindoor • Roli, sandalwood paste, akshat, turmeric, moli, janeu (sacred thread) • Incense, lamp, camphor, ghee • Modak, laddu, fruits, paan, betel nut, coconut, banana • Panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar) • Perfume (itra), aarti plate, bell

1. Bathe in the morning and wear clean clothes. Clean the house and the puja spot. 2. Spread a cloth on the chowki and install the idol of Ganesh ji. Take water, rice grains and a flower in your hand and make the sankalp. 3. At midday perform the Pran Pratishtha: invoke Ganesh ji and request him to be seated. 4. Shodashopachar puja: offer the seat, padya, arghya, achamana, a bath (with panchamrit), clothes, janeu, sandalwood paste, sindoor, flowers, durva, incense, lamp, naivedya (modak), tambula and dakshina. 5. Chant "Om Gam Ganapataye Namah". Recite the Ganapati Atharvashirsha or the Sankat Nashan Stotra. 6. Perform the aarti and distribute the prasad. 7. For as long as the idol is installed, perform the puja and aarti every morning and evening. 8. On the day of immersion, perform the puja and immerse the idol with the cry "Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya varshi lavkar ya" (Bappa, come again early next year).

• According to one story, Mother Parvati made the figure of a boy from the paste of her body, gave it life and set him to guard the door. When he stopped Lord Shiva from going in, a dispute followed and Shiva cut off the boy's head. At Parvati's grief, Shiva restored the boy to life by fixing the head of an elephant. From then on he was called Gajanan, and Shiva granted him the boon of being worshipped first. • The Puranas contain differing accounts of Ganesh's birth.

By tradition, people are advised to avoid looking at the moon on the night of Ganesh Chaturthi. It is believed that this brings a false accusation, and the story of the Syamantaka jewel is told in this connection. If the moon is seen unknowingly, there is a tradition of listening to the Syamantaka story. This is a folk belief.

• Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka: large pandals, dhol-tasha and grand immersion processions. • North India: installation at home, modak, durva and aarti. • Tamil Nadu (Vinayaka Chaturthi): kozhukattai (steamed modak) as the offering. • Andhra and Telangana: clay Ganesh idols and undrallu as the offering.

• Care for the environment: choose a clay idol and avoid idols with chemical paints. Immerse the idol at home in a bucket or in a designated artificial pond. • Do not offer tulsi to Ganesh ji. Durva and red flowers are dear to him. • Maintain purity in the puja and eat sattvik food. • Take care of crowds and safety at pandals and immersions. • Keep noise under control and follow local rules.