Ganesh Chaturthi
Every question on the site tagged Ganesh Chaturthi, each answered from a timestamped source rather than a summary written from memory.
Computed for New Delhi. Sunrise decides which tithi a day belongs to, so these can differ elsewhere.
Notes from our sources
What is the Kalanka Chaturthi moon-sighting prohibition, and what is its remedy?
Viewing the moon on Ganesha Chaturthi incurs false accusations, as in the Syamantaka Jewel narrative — if the Chaturthi Tithi falls during the night, the prohibition applies to that night's moonrise; if the moon is inadvertently sighted, reading or listening to the Syamantaka Mani narrative from the Bhagavata is the prescribed remedy.
What is the optimal period for a dedicated Ganesha Anushthana?
The 10-day period concluding on Ananta Chaturdashi is optimal for a dedicated Ganesha Anushthana.
How is the Chaturthi vrat kept?
Asked to explain how the Chaturthi vrat is kept, the speaker says it is to be kept the whole year through — Chaturthi meaning Ganapati ji's. In Chaturthi, he adds, the matter connected with Chandra dev must also be looked at and taken into account.
Pujan sequence for each of the eight Vinayaks
The speaker says the pujan of all eight Ganpatis is identical and begins with Mayuresh in the east. For each: Avahan with a flower; water three times while reciting the mantra (for washing the hands, for achaman, for snan); Durva Grass; Bilva patra and flower; then Naivedya of one Laddu with one clove and one cardamom placed on it; then water three times again. Eight Ganpatis get eight separate laddus, each with its clove and cardamom, and he says the order of bilva, flower and durva may be switched without any problem. He kept the sequence the same and completely simple so that anyone can do it, and says that after two or three chaturthi pujans it is all by heart.
Tithi window for the Sankat Nashan Ganapati anushthan
The speaker says the Sankat Nashan Stotra anushthan is best done from Chaturthi tithi through to Chaturdashi tithi, and that this works in either paksha of any month.
What closes the Bhadrapada calendar?
The Ganpati Navratri — Ganesh Chaturthi to Ganesh Chaturdashi, with different prescriptions by which it may be done, and with the question of whether the image should be immersed treated separately.
Can a Ganesh Chaturthi sadhana be begun while an annual vrat is running?
Yes. Asked whether, having begun an annual sadhana from Hal Shashthi, one may also begin the month's sadhana from Ganesh Chaturthi while it is still running, the speaker says yes — if you can manage it there is no difficulty; you may do both sadhanas.
Ten days from Chaturthi to Chaturdashi, one durva offered on each of the 108 recitations, with abhishek and archana on the first and last day.
Ten days, Chaturthi to Chaturdashi in either Paksha. Each day 108 Durva are needed: offer one Durva to Ganapati on each recitation of the Sankat Nashan Ganesh Stotra. On the first and last day add milk Abhishek, Shringar, Panchopachara and Archana with the 108 names, then 108 recitations.
May pilgrimage be undertaken during Kharmas?
Yes. Places of pilgrimage such as Vrindavan may certainly be visited during Kharmas; there is no difficulty in it. In the same exchange, the Sankat Nashan Ganesh Stotra Anushthan may be begun from a Chaturthi.
Timing of the ten-day Ganpati sadhana: Chaturthi to Chaturdashi of any paksha
The speaker says the sadhana is begun on the Chaturthi Tithi of any month and either paksha, Krishna or Shukla, and concludes on the Chaturdashi tithi, making a sadhana of ten days. If one is going to do it in the month of Bhadrapada, when Ganesh puja is publicly celebrated everywhere, that too is very fitting; the sadhana can be done in that month as well.
After the ten days: eight daily paths for life, yearly repeats, and the promise of a fulfilled sankalp
The speaker says the path is not to be dropped once the ten days end: at least eight paths daily, morning and evening if possible, for six months without a break, and in his own view for life. The ten-day Anushthana itself should be repeated every year whenever Ganesh puja comes or in any month that suits, and repeating it every month is best of all. If one keeps this up for a whole year, he says he gives it in writing that the sankalp one is doing it for cannot fail to be fulfilled, however strong the thing written in one's Prarabdha, if Ganpati bestows his grace. The wish must be dharma-yukt, not against dharma: a son, children, wealth, vidya, success in a competitive exam, continued for one year.
On which tithi was Ganesh born, and how many Chaturthis are there in a year?
On the Chaturthi of the Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada, at the auspicious moonrise hour. People observe Ganesh worship especially on the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi of Bhadrapada, but the Chaturthi of both Pakshas is his — the twenty-four Chaturthis of the year all carry his worship.
How long does the Ganesh Chaturthi vrat prescribed by Shiva run?
Until the Chaturthi tithi of the Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada comes round again — that is, begun on this year's Bhadon Krishna Chaturthi and carried to next year's. Shiva's instruction is that the vrat be performed for one year, and that those wanting incomparable happiness worship on every Chaturthi.
What is the daily procedure of the Chaturthi vrat?
Bathe in the morning and make the request to Brahmins for the vrat; take the Sankalpa, worship with Durva, and keep the fast. When the first watch of the night arrives, bathe again and perform Ganesh's worship — making an image of metal, coral, white Arka or clay, and consecrating it.
What kind of Durva is offered to Ganesh?
The Durva for Ganesh's worship should be a span, twelve Angul, in length; possessed of three knots; and rootless — no root in it. Such Durva alone is offered to him, a hundred and one or twenty-one of them, upon the installed image.
What should someone in serious difficulty do on Chaturthi?
On the Chaturthi tithi, perform Ganesh's Abhishek, worship with fragrance, and offer twenty-one Durva while reciting the Sankat Nashan Ganapati Stotram twenty-one times — with the Durva as specified: twelve Angul, three knots, rootless. Do this through the year's twenty-four Chaturthis.
After the Chaturthi night worship: the young moon is worshipped, Brahmins fed, and a salt-free sweet meal taken
After worshipping and praising him, worship the young moon that has risen in the first watch — give him Argha, show him Dhupa and Deepa, and worship him as far as the offerings allow. Then worship Brahmins and feed them sweet foods, and eat sweet food without salt yourself.
What should someone doing Ganesh sadhana do when there are dreams but no darshan?
A listener says he does Ganesh ji's sadhana, has some experience, feels someone is with him in dreams but it neither speaks nor gives darshan, and asks what to do to obtain darshan. He answers: whatever experiences are coming to you through dreams and the like, tell them to yourself or to your guru ji, do not make them public. Secondly, darshan is up to him, in what manner he will give it. You should do havan — you should do havan more and more of whatever mantras you are doing japa of; at the very least you should do havan on the Chaturthi tithi in both pakshas. Through havan, he says, things fructify a good deal more quickly.
The tantric secret of the gaja head is deferred to the coming Ganpati puja
Asked why a gaja head had to be joined to Ganesh ji, whether there are tantric secrets in it, and about the tantric importance of the three-eyed Ganapati and the Panchmukhi Ganapati, he says that all these subjects will have to be told separately. Ganpati puja is coming, and in it he will continually attempt, staying within his capacity and limits, to tell the tantrokta subjects connected with Ganpati ji.
How should a silver ball be abhimantrit and worn for a child?
Having got the solid ball made, abhimantrit it with the twelve names of Ganpati ji and get it worn round the neck in a green thread or in a silver chain itself, on the day of Wednesday, in the hora of Budh, in whichever paksha. Especially if the pujan can happen on a Wednesday falling on Chaturthi, on that same day; and better still, if some Brahmin of a Ganpati temple, or any Brahmin who has the experience of reciting the Ganpati Atharvashirsha and who has done at least 108 path, gets that solid ball abhimantrit with the Ganpati Atharvashirsha 108 times in one single day — then get it worn round the child's neck in a silver chain itself, on Wednesday in Budh's hora, and especially if Wednesday falls on Chaturthi, on that day.
What if no Brahmin is available to do the silver ball's abhimantran?
And if there is no pandit ji, if nobody is being found, then having abhimantrit it 108 times with the twelve names that are the Sankat Nashan, then get it worn, the speaker says. The rest of the rule will remain the same: if Wednesday falls on the day of Chaturthi it is the most excellent of all. For the rest, if there is an emergency, then you may get it worn on any Wednesday. In that, Krishna Paksha and Shukla Paksha are not to be looked at.
Which Ganpati sadhana should be done after the guru sadhana?
Asked which sadhana of Ganpati may be done if one is to do Ganpati after the guru, the speaker says: first of all do the Sankatnashan Ganesh Stotra. That sadhana should certainly be done for six months. If you cannot do six months either, then the paath should be done from Chaturthi to Chaturthi, one month.
What Ganesh anushthan should every householder do?
Every householder should in his life do the sadhana of the Sankatnashan Ganesh Stotram, and should do a proper anushthan of that stotra. If 108 recitations are done daily from Chaturthi to Chaturdashi, by the vidhan told in the video given on this same channel, that is most excellent. If you cannot manage it, then do at least three days, five days, seven days.
Can havan be done every day of the ten?
If there is a wish to do havan daily, do it daily — but do not do the purnahuti daily; do the purnahuti on the last day, that is on the day of Anant Chaturdashi. The bhog will change every day, but the heap of rice that has been placed upon the paan leaf is never to be moved and never to be removed; it will be removed only on the day of Anant Chaturdashi.
When should the prana pratishtha of Ganpati be done?
Do the prana pratishtha of Ganpati on the first day, on the Chaturthi tithi itself, or have it done — and if you know how to do it, you can do it. Secondly, if you wish to do it yourself and you do not know any particular vidhi vidhan, then do five kinds of adhivas. He then sets out how it is to be done in ordinary sequence.
What are the dates from Chaturthi to Chaturdashi?
Asked for the dates, he tells Krishna Devra ji that on the 31st is the Ganesh puja and that day is the Chaturthi, and that Anant Chaturdashi should fall on the 9th or 10th of September — it will be on one of the two days.
Who began the practice of installing Ganpati in the home?
Asked which way the trunk of the murti should be and how high the murti should be for installing Ganpati at home, he tells Ankur ji that he has spoken of it before and put up videos too. The custom of our installing Ganpati at home, whenever it began, was set going by Bal Gangadhar Tilak; the reason behind it was to unite people. Later people began sthapana in house after house. Earlier sthapana did not take place in the home; pujan takes place at home.
Which form of Ganpati appeared at the Bhadrapada Chaturthi?
Tell me one thing, he says: the Ganesh Chaturthi that we are celebrating in the month of Bhadrapada — in it one form of Ganpati ji, Bal Ganesh, chiefly appeared. That much is the current katha, that it is Ganpati's birth festival.
How many Chaturthis are there in the year?
But all of you know, he says, that taking the Krishna Paksha and the Shukla Paksha together there are twenty-four Chaturthis. And on every Chaturthi the puja of a different form of Ganpati is done — for all twelve months.
Why were the other Chaturthis never celebrated?
And there are the Ashtavinayak; and again these twelve forms; and these twenty-four Ganpatis, whose whole pujan is in different months according to different pakshas. About them, he says, it was never celebrated. About them nothing is known, people say. Some cause arose such that it came into currency.
Does each paksha's Ganpati have its own importance?
The Ganpati of each paksha has his own particular importance, he says — not only that of the month of Bhadrapada. So that custom and currency began, and as people's faith in it grew, they began to be worshipped in the house: that yes, today we shall do pujan in this manner, we shall install Ganpati's Shri vigraha at home and do pujan.
Is there a dosha in seeing the moon on a Chaturthi?
Asked whether a dosha attaches if the darshan of the moon happens on any Chaturthi day, he answers that the dosha of the chandra darshan of the Bhadrapada month has been spoken of particularly, and that the katha of the Syamantak Mani should be heard. Asked next by Uday Pratap ji, who wants diksha in the Shri Kul and is from Kurukshetra in Haryana, where the diksha will be from and what the beginning rule will be, he answers that he wants diksha in the Shri Vidya, diksha in the Shri Kul — so take diksha in the kula of Adi Guru Shankaracharya, and begin everything from there; there is no need to wander anywhere else.
How can one learn about the twenty-four Ganesh Chaturthis?
Asked how information may be obtained about the twenty-four, the twelve months, and both the pakshas of Ganesh ji, he answers that a book of the vrat katha of the Ganesh Chaturthis of the twelve months comes out — take it; almost all the information will be found in it.
A more special observance is being prepared for Ganapati and Shiva on the Monday Chaturthi
He says that for the Chaturthi and Monday falling together this time there will be a somewhat more special preparation from his side for Bhagavan Ganpati ji and Bhagavan Shiva ji, because after that only one more Monday will be obtained.
Is it acceptable to keep the same vrat in both pakshas?
Do any one vrat, the speaker says. If you keep Ashtami, then which one — Krishna Paksha or Shukla Paksha? If you keep both, that too is all right. If you are doing Pradosh in both, that too is all right. But carry one along. Those who do Ekadashi do only Ekadashi, of both pakshas. If you are doing Chaturthi, both Chaturthis or one — that is fine. But having done Ashtami, Pradosh, Trayodashi and Purnima, four vrats each — then what mistake have the remaining tithis made? Do theirs too, and the grace of all will be obtained by you.
What should be done when the livelihood situation is desperate?
Keep the vrat of the Chaturthi day. Whatever your birth chart may be, leave it aside, whatever Dasha or Antardasha is running. Take Ganpati's refuge before anything else, so that grain and money are never short in the house — and only when the basic needs are met, take up a larger sadhana.
Which tithi-window belongs to which deity?
For Ganpati ji in particular, Chaturthi to Chaturdashi. For Narayana, Ekadashi to Ekadashi. For Bhagavan Shiva, Panchami to Amavasya, or Panchami to Chaturdashi.
Otherwise ten days every month, from Chaturthi to Chaturdashi
Otherwise do ten days every month, from Chaturthi to Chaturdashi. Begin from the Chaturthi tithi with a sankalp and complete on the Chaturdashi tithi; then again from Chaturthi to Chaturdashi, and a gap of two or three days will be got in between.
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