Ganpati Sthapana & Visarjan Puja

• Lord Ganesha is the lord of wisdom, prosperity and power. Out of all the different Devatas, Lord Ganesha is known to be the most intelligent.
• Known as the Vighnaharta or Vighna-Vinashak this elephant-headed lord is known to be a remover of obstacles. His presence is known to dispel all evil.
• When Lord Ganesha is prayed to at the beginning of the Puja, he makes sure that the entire Puja happens without a glitch and that the objectives for doing the Puja are achieved.
• Lord Ganesh is also Buddhipriya i.e. he is fond of learning and education. Hence, starting the Puja by taking his name helps the worshippers gain enlightened by knowledge.
• Since, he is also the manifestation of Omkar which represents one and all, praying to him alone means one has prayed to all the elements of the entire Universe.

• The Ganesh Sthapana Puja starts with setting up of the Ganesh Murti or a Puja Paan (leaf/paper) or Kalash or maybe even all three together. The latter two symbolize Lord Ganesh.
• The Vidhi starts with praying to the Murti (Avaahan) and placing it on a wooden base or a low table for Praan Pratishthan.
• The next step is offering five flowers (preferably red hibiscus). This is known as Pushpanjali.
• We then wash Lord Ganesha’s feet with water and scented water (Arghya). Water is also offered as a sip to be consumed (Aachaman).
• It is then time for Ganesh snaanam and abhishekam. The murti has to be first bathed using water and then with Panchamrut (a mix of milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar and in that order). This is followed by application of scented oil on the murti. The final step is washing away the excess oil using Gangaajal.
• The murti is then made to wear new Vastras and Yajnopavita or Janoyi.
• The freshly bathed and clothed murti is then offered grains of rice i.e. akshata, then phoolmala, shaami patra, durva, sindoor,dhoop, diya and Naivedya (Prasad).
• The final offerings include 5 leaves of Paan along with betel nuts (supari), coconuts and dakshina.
• The Ganpati Sthapana Puja Vidhi is concluded by singing the Ganesh Aartis and chanting various Ganesh Mantras

• The Murti is worshipped by singing the Ganesh Aarti. For most Pujas, visarjan is completed with a symbolic gesture of immersing of Ganesh Paan in the water or by offering water over Kalash.
• For The Ganesh Chaturthi Puja, the Visarjan takes place in a pool, river or a bigger water body.
• The Ganpati Visarjan puja vidhi is performed by dipping the Murti three times in the water. The third dip should lead to complete immersion. A part of the sand where Ganesha is immersed in water is taken out and kept of the wooden Aaasana and stored safely at home.
• People who were a part of the Visarjan Vidhi have to come back to the Mandap or Pandal to sing the Aarti once again so that Lord Ganesha visits us when we invite him next.

Om Shree Ganeshaya Namaha|

Om Gan Ganpataye Namo Namaha|

Vakratund Mahakaay Suryakoti Samaprabha|

Nirvighnam Kurumedev, Sarva Karyeshu Sarvada||