Vinayaka Chaturthi/Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh chaturthi /Vinayaka chaturhti is the most celebrated festival throughout India. In most states  it is observed for 10 days and grand Visarjan is performed on the 10th day. Especially in Maharashtra it is celebrated very elaborately. As any other hindu festival Ganesh chaturthi is celebrated with variety of nivedyams for Lord Ganesha, mainly with Modakam/Kozakattai which is made of rice flour with sweet coconut filling, which is considered Ganeha’s favorite sweet.


Traditionally in tamilnadu, before the pandigai ( festivel)  Ganesh idol is made of clay ( kaliman). 
The Kaliman / clay is a natural clay that is safe for the environment and dissolves in water easily. Usually the decorations are also eco-freindly, simple flower and grass ( arugam pullu) garlands. But recently the idols and decorations have become bigger and elaborate and most of the time not so environmentally conscious. This is growing concern as they affect the water bodies ( due to Visarjan, dissolving in open waters)

Back in India we used to buy the readymade kaliman pillayar for poja. After marriage it was hard to 

find Ganesha idol in US so I started making it at home and now it has become a tradition to make 
homemade idol with family

This was made a couple of years with minimal paint.

On  the pooja day we prepare the following items for the pooja and for Neivedyam.

Pooja Procedure.
Vinayaka chaturthi is one special festival among other festivals as the idol for the pooja can be  handmade. The idol is usually made couple of days in advance and let to dry.
The night before the pooja, we clean the place where the idol is placed and put kolam (rangoli) and ready the idol for pooja.
Next day morning we get ready all the required items for pooja, flowers, leaves, fruits, panchamrutham, and other essentials. Here is the link to the pooja procedures.
Neivedum:
Appam
Payasam
and Mahaneivedyam ( rice/dal and ghee)

 

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