Ganesh Puja

Ganesh Puja is the sacred worship of Lord Ganesha, the beloved elephant-headed deity revered in the scriptures as Vighneshwara, the lord of obstacles, who removes hindrances for his devotees and is honoured first in every auspicious ceremony. According to the scriptures, the Chaturthi tithi, the fourth lunar day, is the day most dear to Lord Ganesha, for it is said that he manifested on the Shukla Chaturthi of the Bhadrapada month, celebrated joyously across the world as Ganesh Chaturthi. Every month brings two of his sacred days, Vinayaka Chaturthi in the waxing phase and Sankashti Chaturthi in the waning phase, when devotees fast until moonrise and offer him their prayers. When Sankashti falls on a Tuesday, it is honoured as Angaraki Chaturthi, believed to be the most powerful of all his monthly days. It is for this reason that the puja performed on a Chaturthi, and especially on Angaraki Chaturthi, is considered the most potent occasion to receive his swift and loving grace. The puja is performed in the traditional shodashopachara manner, with sixteen forms of devoted service offered to Lord Ganesha, including avahana, abhishekam, alankaram, archana with his 108 sacred names, offerings of durva grass and modaka, and aarti. It is said that Ganapati is among the most easily pleased of all deities, accepting even a single blade of durva offered with love. When you participate with a sincere sankalpa in your name, gotra and nakshatra, it is believed that Lord Ganesha clears your path of every obstacle and fills your life with auspiciousness.