It's time to welcome the elephant God, Ganesha into our homes as the country celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi is a Hindu festival which celebrates the annual arrival of the Hindu god Ganesha to earth from his celestial abode, Mout Kailasa. As the festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols in homes, we tell you what to do and what not to do after the sthapna of Ganesh idol at your home.
First things first, in order to usher the God into your home, you need to clean your house to perfection. After this, fill a Kalash with water, place a coconut on top of it and decorate it with betel leaves. Last but not the least, place the Ganesha idol on a platform which is at some height. Adorn the idol with a sacred thread (Janve) on the left shoulder and adorn it with a sandalwood paste tilak on the forehead and garlands. Devotees can then offer durva grass and red flowers to Ganesha. Mantras from Rigveda can be recited to do pranpratishtha, a ghee lamp should be lighted and the Lord must be offered Modak while daily aartis are performed.
