Shri Ganesha Puja Vidhi
Shri Ganesha श्री गणेश
Vighnaharta - remover of obstacles, worshipped first in every puja.
Main mantra
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
Om Gam Ganapataye Namah
Samagri you will need
Along with the common puja essentials (diya, ghee, dhoop, akshat, roli, kalash, flowers, fruits), these items are special for Shri Ganesha:
- Durva grass (21 blades / 3-leaf) दूर्वा (इक्कीस दल)
- Sindoor सिंदूर
- Red flowers (hibiscus / marigold) लाल पुष्प (गुड़हल / गेंदा)
- Modak or laddu मोदक या लड्डू
- Banana केला
- Janeu (sacred thread) जनेऊ
- Red sandalwood रक्त चंदन
Step-by-step puja vidhi
Shuddhi - purify yourself and the place
Bathe and wear clean (preferably fresh) clothes. Clean the puja place, lay the chowki with a clean cloth, and sprinkle Gangajal around the area. Sit facing east or north on an asana.
Sankalpa - state your intention
Take water, akshat and a flower in the right palm. Speak your name, gotra (if known), the date and place, and the purpose of the puja, then release the water before the deity.
Deep prajwalan & dhyana
Light the ghee diya and incense. Close your eyes and meditate on Shri Ganesha's form, requesting him to accept the worship.
Avahana - invoke Shri Ganesha
Invoke the deity into the murti, photo or kalash with folded hands, chanting "Om Gam Ganapataye Namah". Offer a seat (asana) of flowers or akshat.
Padya, Arghya & Achamana
Offer water for washing the feet (padya), the hands (arghya), and for sipping (achamana) - a spoonful of water each, poured into a plate before the deity.
Snana / Abhishek
Bathe the murti with clean water, then panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar), then clean water again. Wipe gently with a soft cloth.
Vastra & adornment
Offer red vastra and a janeu (sacred thread). Apply a tilak of red sandalwood or sindoor with akshat (unbroken rice).
Pushpa & patra - flowers and leaves
Offer red flowers (hibiscus, marigold) and 21 blades of durva grass, tips toward the deity.
Dhoop & deep
Show the incense (dhoop) and then the lamp (deep) to the deity with a gentle clockwise motion, ringing the bell with the left hand.
Naivedya - offer the bhog
Offer the bhog: Modak or laddu (ideally 21), banana. Place it before the deity with a few drops of water around the plate.
Mantra japa
Chant "Om Gam Ganapataye Namah" 108 times (one mala), or at least 11 times, with a steady, unhurried mind.
Aarti
Perform the aarti - "Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh Deva" - with a ghee lamp or camphor, rotating it clockwise before the deity while singing, then pass the flame to all present.
Pradakshina & pushpanjali
Circumambulate the deity (or turn in place) an odd number of times, offer a final handful of flowers (pushpanjali), and bow fully.
Kshama prarthana & prasad
Ask forgiveness for any mistakes in the worship ("kshama prarthana"), thank the deity, and distribute the prasad to everyone present.
Special rules for Shri Ganesha
- Tulsi is never offered to Shri Ganesha.
- Durva is offered with the tips pointing toward the deity, in sets of 3- or 5-leaf blades.
- Every other puja begins with Ganesha smarana - he is always worshipped first.
This is a simple, complete home-puja vidhi in the Shodashopachara spirit. Regional and family traditions (parampara) vary - where your family does something differently, follow your parampara. Devotion (bhava) matters more than perfection of procedure.
Choose another Dev / Devi
What is a Puja Vidhi?
A puja vidhi is the step-by-step worship of a Dev or Devi: shuddhi, sankalpa, avahana, snana and alankara, flowers, dhoop-deep, naivedya, japa, aarti and prasad. This page follows a simple Shodashopachara (sixteen-offering) pattern for home worship.
Each deity has a favoured day, flowers, leaves and bhog, plus special rules (tulsi is never offered to Ganesha or on the Shivling; Vishnu and Krishna naivedya is incomplete without it). Family parampara comes first when it differs. Pick a deity for the vidhi, mantra and aarti.
This is not a fast. Fasting procedure is Vrat Vidhi. The item list is Puja Samagri. The story told on a vrat day is Vrat Katha.
