Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: Dos And Don'ts While Performing Puja At Home

Monday, August 22, 2022, 10:05

Lord Ganesha Festival brings along with it, cheer and revelry that is so lacking in today's stress-filled racing times. This is a very popular and dearly loved festival which celebrates the arrival of Lord Ganesha with his mother from the Mountain ranges of Kailas. This year it will be celebrated on 31, August 2022.

The festival, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi concludes after the 11th day and the idol is taken in a procession and immersed in the holy water body. From day one up to the day of Visarjan, devotees observe fast, pray, sing and dance. Here is a list of things, you ought to do and are not supposed to do, during the festival.

Ganesh Puja 2022: Worship Method And Puja Rituals

Before you install the Lord Ganesha idol on your home altar or puja mandir, then you need to follow some important measures. Clean your home without leaving a corner, and then take a cleansing holy bath yourself. Then fill a Kalash with water, place a coconut on the top, and arrange betel leaves on the Kalash. Place the Ganesh idol upon the wooden chowki which is at a good height above the floor. Adorn the idol with a sacred thread on the left shoulder and apply a sandalwood paste tilak on the forehead and then place garlands on the idol. Remember that only Durva grass and red flowers are to be offered to Lord Ganesha. Pranaprathistha is performed by reciting Mantras from Rigveda while a ghee lamp is lit and Lord is offered Modak and aartis are performed as the last step.

Get up early in the Brahmi muhurta and take a holy bath. Then visit the temple, for a puja offering. Bath is essential because it not only keeps you fresh and clean on the outside, the holy bath cleanses you from within. It also is mandatory to enter the temple, only after bathing and wearing fresh clothes.

At the end of 11 days, the idol of Lord Ganesha is taken out in a procession and immersed in a pond or river on the Anant Chaturdashi. From day one to the day of Visarjan, devotees must offer prayers, Sankeertans, and dance and fast when required. Whenever we undertake something new, we need to pray to Lord Ganesha for helping us succeed. Hence, he is called Vighnaharta the remover of obstacles. So keeping these in mind, we have to observe certain rules while worshipping and paying our respect to him,

Dos For Ganesha Puja

Devotees can bring continue the celebrations for 1.5 days, 3 days, 7 days or 10 days. Once the Ganpati installation is done, the following should be observed by the devotees.
Lord Ganesha is the most honoured guest and Lord of your home. Hence, he should be treated royally as you would treat any guest. Be it food, water or prasad, everything must be offered to Lord Ganesh first. Prepare sattvic food and first serve him the dish so that the dishes are blessed by him before you consume them.
Ganesha Idol should be made from clay material and colours should be chosen based on the natural spectrum of colours. No artificial metallic tint should be chosen.
In case you live in a place where there is no pond or any other waterbody nearby, just immerse the idol of Ganesha in your own house, inside a bucket, or a drum.
If you do not feel comfortable to immerse the idol at home. Take the idol to a nearby natural reservoir for immersion.

Don'ts For Ganesha Puja

Before sending him off for immersion on the 11th day, perform Puja, Aarti and offer Bhog at home.
The visarjan procession must start at a suitable muhurat and do not make the mistake of taking him out during wrong or ill-fated muhurats. Follow the auspicious time for an auspicious and successful visarjan.
Do not close the main door of the house while installing the idol or at the time of immersing him. One family member at least, should be present during both these occasions.
If you have installed a huge idol, do not immerse it near the bank of the river but rent a boat to do so.
Stealing and cheating is strictly prohibited. You cant avoid his watchful eyes, wherever you are on the earth.
Foul words, negative thoughts, and verbal fights in the presence of the lord are strictly prohibited. Try to be calm and reposed as Lord Ganesha, during as well as after the time of worship, will take care of you.
Celibacy is a must for the devotee during the festival period.
Lord Ganesha must not be left at home alone unattended. At least one family member must stay along with him.
Devotees who are worshipping him during this festival must abstain from gambling whether it is inside or outside the house. This festival does not allow gambling practices for the day it is being observed.
Meat and alcohol, the lethal twosome should be strictly avoided. is also strictly prohibited.
Avoid using onion and garlic whether it is for prasad or for household consumption.
Some of us resume meat consumption soon after Shravan month is over. But at least on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi, see that you preserve the sattvic festive aura by abstaining from meat.
Installation of Lord Ganesha at home should be conducted according to the muhurta. Delay should not hamper the benefit that you accrue from the observance.
If you don't prefer to install idol of Lord Ganesha in your house, visit a nearby Ganesh temple and offer jaggery modak and coconut to him.
Don't be overenthusiastic and decorate Lord Ganesha with all heavy jewellery. It is not a good omen if it breaks notwithstanding the weight of the ornaments

Disclaimer: The information is based on assumptions and information available on the internet and the accuracy or reliability is not guaranteed. Boldsky does not confirm any inputs or information related to the article and our only purpose is to deliver information. Boldsky does not believe in or endorse any superstitions.

Image sources: Wikimedia Commons