1 What is Ganesh Chaturthi?
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated to mark the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and a symbol of knowledge and new beginnings. Families bring idols home with great joy, perform daily pujas and aartis to the idols, and after the aarti, they distribute prasad (especially modak) to everyone, concluding with immersion.
2 Managing time and money (budget) :
The time (duration) is 1,5, 3,5,7,10 days, which is decided by the people of that group.
Mostly, the Ganpati idols of the house are installed for 1 day or 3 and 5 days, while the Ganpati idols installed in groups such as the group (in the society or in the street) are installed for 7 or 11 days and their immersion is done only after 7 or 11 days.
Money budget plan: Proper planning of idols, decorations, puja materials, prasad materials, lighting.
3 Tips for choosing an idol (eco-friendly):
Prefer natural colored clay (sand) or paper-clay idols.
Choose a size of the idol that will fit safely in your home (leave enough space for the aarti and guests).
Carry the idol carefully and make sure it does not break.
Also, take a small diary with the aarti of Ganesha and other gods, which will help you while performing the aarti.
4 Prepare the mandap/setup for installing Ganpati:
Place: Choose a clean, quiet corner facing east or north if possible.
To place Ganpati: Take a sturdy table covered with a clean cloth.
Ground: Cloth, flowers, marigold strings, toran, fairy lights.
Items: Kalash with coconut and mango leaves, lamp, incense stick, bell, aarti thali.
Precautions to be taken: Keep lamps away from cloth; secure wire loom; choose a fireproof place for camphor.
5 List of Purchases and Pooja Materials:
Materials: Lamp, Oil/Ghee, Incense, Camphor, Bell, Roli/Saffron, Turmeric, Akshata (Rice), Sandalwood, Durva Grass, Red Flowers.
Offerings: Fruits (Banana, Pomegranate), Sweets (Modak/Ladu), Coconut.
Decorations: Flowers, Toran, Rangoli Colors.
Cleanliness: New cloth for the base of the idol, hand towels, garbage bags, wipes.
Eco-Friendly: Steel / Bronze Plates, Reusable Decorations, Clay Idol.
6 Installation of Ganesh idol:
Keep the place sparkling clean and prepare yourself by taking a good bath: Light a lamp; Sprinkle water, if available, Ganga water.
Place the idol on a well-decorated table.
Set the intention: Dedicate your festival peacefully and well.
Prana Pratishtha (simple method): Offer flowers, turmeric-kumkum, sandalwood and durva while chanting “Om Gan Ganapataye Namah”.
Clothes and ornaments (optional): Vastra (clothes), garland, tilak.
Naivedya: Offer fruits and modak.
Aarti: Perform Ganesh Aarti with family (morning/evening thereafter).
Keep it devotional but simple – spiritual sincerity is more important than complexity.
7 Daily Puja Planning (10-20 minutes):
You can do a quick routine every day:
Light a lamp and incense stick in front of the idol every day.
Apply sandalwood and gulal-kumku to the idol.
If available, place fresh flowers around the idol.
Ring the bell softly; perform Aarti (morning and/or evening).
Distribute Prasad: After the Aarti is over, give everyone something sweet (like shiras and coconuts and other sweet prasad).
Family participation: Assign roles (lighting the lamp, reading, Aarti thali, Prasad) so that the children feel involved.
Community and cultural activities:
Bhajan evenings, children’s drawing/painting (involve children from the society and other children in this), best eco-decoration competition, modak making workshops, charity drives (books, clothes, food grains).
Invite neighbours for an aarti at least once a day; keep it short and warm.
8 Visarjan (immersion) should be done properly and in a good manner. Here are some measures for this:
Environment First: People of the city should immerse themselves at home in a clean bucket/thick tub or municipal/artificial tanks.
Procedure: Perform a short aarti and thank you.
And while immersing the idol, make sure that there are no children nearby (if the idol is big) and immerse the idol in a calm manner.
Collect the remaining soil respectfully; use it for planting or returning to the soil.
Safety: Avoid crowded water sources; Keep children at a safe distance; Keep towels and dry clothes with you.
9 Cleaning and Donation Ideas :
Reuse decorations for upcoming festivals.
If you have any leftover items/food, distribute them appropriately to needy families.
Compost flowers; store reusable items in labeled boxes.
