Vinayaka Chaturthi

 In my childhood days, we were always very happy during the Vinayaka Chaturthi festival. We would go to the mango trees and collect leaves to make thoranam (a decorative garland) for the house. My mother would wake up early in the morning and start preparing the Nivedyam (offerings) for the God. My father and siblings would take care of the festival preparations—cleaning, decorating, shopping for essentials, and getting the Ganesha idol ready for the pooja.

As I grew older, I became curious and asked my father about the significance of the festival. I even wondered if the God would really come to our house. After the pooja began, my father explained the meaning behind the mantras we were chanting during the ritual.

The essence of the festival is like inviting a guest into our home. In ancient times, guests were considered as God. Welcoming a guest and then sending them off properly was a significant challenge, and this concept is reflected in our ritual as well.

In the first phase of the pooja, we perform Sankalpa, where we mention our name, the place we are inviting God from, and our purpose for performing the pooja. In the second phase, we perform Prana Pratishtha, where we ask the God to enter the idol, which now symbolizes the God Himself—our guest.

After this, we offer Him a symbolic bath, give Him new clothes, and invite Him to sit on a golden chair. Once seated, we light lamps and incense sticks to create a pure and pleasant atmosphere. We then sing devotional songs, dance, and play instruments for His entertainment.

Next, we perform the pooja using 21 types of leaves, praising each part of Lord Ganesha's body, followed by offering praise to His full form. We chant His 100 different names, and perform the Mangal Aarti.

Afterward, my mother prepares the special food for Nivedyam. Before serving it, we wash the hands of the idol and offer the 21 varieties of food to God. The Nivedyam is placed on a silver plate and is followed by the offering of Thamboolam (betel leaves and nuts) as a token of respect.

Once all the rituals are complete, we all pray to God for our wishes and perform 21 repetitions of sit-ups as a sign of respect before having our meal. Afterward, we all have lunch together as a family. After the meal, the idol of Lord Ganesha rests until the evening.

In the evening, we perform a send-off ritual known as Udvasana, during which several mantras are recited. Before this, we visit neighboring houses, and at each house, we perform 21 sit-ups as a sign of devotion. Finally, my father tells us stories related to the festival, and with great respect, we take the idol and immerse it in water, marking the end of the festival.

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