Vinayak Chaturthi is a sacred festival dedicated to the worship of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. According to the Hindu calendar, two Chaturthi days occur every month - Sankashti Chaturthi in Krishna Paksha and Vinayak Chaturthi in Shukla Paksha. On this auspicious day, devotees honor Lord Ganesha, who holds the highest position among all deities, to seek his blessings for happiness, prosperity, and the removal of troubles.
Puja Vidhi: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Begin the day with a morning bath, followed by a vow to fast.
2. Purify the worship area with Gangajal.
3. Offer a garland of yellow flowers to Lord Ganesha.
4. Present incense, lamps, naivedya, akshat, and durva grass.
5. Offer sweets or modaks.
6. Recite the fasting story and perform the aarti of Lord Ganesha.
7. Apply a tilak of red vermilion to Ganesha, chanting the mantra:
"Sindooram Shobhanam Raktam Saubhagyaam Sukhvardhanam.
Shubhadam Kamadam Chaiva Sindooram Pratigrahyataam."
Note: It's believed that seeing the moon on Vinayak Chaturthi evening leads to false accusations, so worship is done in the afternoon.
