A COMPLETE GUIDE ON VINAYAGA /GANESHA CHATURTHI CELEBRATION

Lord Ganesha is the God of knowledge, wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. Ganesha is called Vinayagar and also as Pillaiyar in Tamil Nadu. Vinayagar is worshipped by everyone, before starting any new work in any field. Vinayaga chaturthi or Pillaiyar chaturthi is an important festival of Hindu religion. The festival falls on the fourth day after new moon in the Tamil month aavani. It is celebrated to welcome Lord Ganesha on his birthday and is celebrated by Hindus around the world. This festival is celebrated in in India with great enthusiasm and devotion. This festival is also known as the Ganesha Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi. On this day Ganesh idols made of clay are worshipped in all homes. It is known as 'kaliman pillayar' in Tamil. People pray with full devotion and faith and throng to Ganesha temples and pray HIM to get knowledge and wealth and worship 'Ekadanta'. Pray Ganesha with faith and devotion and HE will remove all the obstacles in your life.

How to celebrate?

On the previous day, clean the pooja items, lamps, idols if any. Apply chandan, kumkum to the idols, lamps, wick them and keep ready.

Soak fistful of rice for 2,3 hours and grind to a fine paste. Dilute it to a semi- thick solution. This is called 'izhai kolam maavu' which we make during festivals to put kolam.

Mango leaves for thoran.

Things to purchase and arrange:

Garlands with cotton wick, a small vastram (pillaiyar towel), poonal for pillaiyar, chattar(decorative small umbrella), flowers, fruits preferably guava and vilampazham (wood apple), coconut, betel leaves, betel nuts, erukam poo OR erukam poo garlands, arungampul. These will be available in plenty in the market on the previous day. You can shop for it. Also keep ready turmeric powder, kumkum, sandal powder, camphor, incense sticks, gingelly oil or ghee for lamp. These will always be available at home. If not, shop for it too. Put 'izhai kolam' in wooden planks. Things can be arranged according to the rituals done in one's home. However, even if one cannot afford to buy and celebrate in an elaborate manner, it is enough just to chant and pray with full devotion and faith.

Some people do gowri pooja on the previous day. On the day of Vinayaga Chaturthi, wash and put kolam in the frontyard. Take head bath early in the morning, wear clean clothes, clean the pooja room or the place where the idol is to be kept, put a kolam and keep the 'kaliman pillaiyar' (களிமண் பிள்ளையார்) on wooden planks (put kolam on the plank too) or raised platforms. Put poonool and tie vastram to the earthen idol. Decorate with chandan and kumkum. Decorate with garlands, erukam poo (don't know the English name, google for it) and with "Bermuda grass" known as arugampul in Tamil.

In some houses, the idol is given a bath with pure water and then decorated. Some do abishekam also. Some do Ganapathi homam. Aval pori with jaggery and coconut pieces are also made for homam and prasadam.

Pray to Ganesha /Vinayaka by chanting mantras, and devotional songs. Tell vinayagar agaval, or any slokas on Ganesha and do archana with flowers and guava leaves.

Various dishes are cooked for offerings. Modakam is known to be HIS favourite sweet and is the main dish made on this day. Arrange neivedyams, tamboolam and fruits in pooja room. Offer Modakam, ladoo and all other neivedhyams after doing pooja to Pillaiyar and finally take aarathi.

However, these are procedures done as per family traditions and many books are available in stores on how to perform the pooja. The slokas can be googled and books are available in stores as well.

Do punarpooja the next day with a payasam and do the visarjan in a well or river. In Tamilnadu, people take the kaliman pillayar (களிமண் பிள்ளையார்) from their homes and keep in the temple near the peepal tree vinayagar.

For neivedhyam: I have given links for all the bakshanams. Anything of your choice can be made. Click on the recipe name for recipe links. Various dishes are cooked for offerings. In North India, Karanji, ladoo, barfi and pedas are made. In Tamil Nadu, the offerings are as follows:

Bakshanams:
Home made rice flour
Modhakam (Poorna kozhukattai),
Ulundu kozhukattai,
Ammini kozhukattai,
Kallu kozhukattai,
Ellu urundai,
Appam,
Paruppu vadai,
Sundal
Pachai arisi idli
Aval pori with jaggery and coconut (for Homam and prasadam)
Dry fruits and nuts ladoo 
Besan badam cake 
Kesar peda
Pidi kozhukattai
Millet cow peas pidi kozhukattai


General thaligai menu:                     

Sadham(rice), Nei(ghee), paruppu,
Mor kozhambu or Sambhar,
Paruppu usili,
Kariamudhu(poriyal),
Kootu,
Thayirpachadi,
Kosumari,
Vadaam or appalam(fried),
Vadai or thayir vadai,
Rasam,
Payasam,
Thayir (curd),
Oorugaai(pickle).

Click here for Pooja vidhanam audio and download.