proper and simple manner of puja for ganesha at home. please help to advise me.?

Question

some twenty- three years ago we bought a house facing a road junction. we did not know the bad omens. we are indians in malaysia. then a temple priest from india advised us to place, his holyness lord ganesha, facing the junction. i took the advise and did it. for the past 12 years or so i have been doing morning pujas for the lord. i also became a total vegetarian. i am happy, but off late i feel i have not done the pujas correctly. i bath the lord every morning and decorate with flowers from my house compound. i light a lamp and incense and recite the ganesha mantra three times. i also bath the lord with milk every thursdays. but i feel something is missing. please help.

Answer 1

you are doing pooja in an excellent way... feel satisfied... nothing is bad omen... do not believe on priests... do believe in God who is always with you...

Ooom Ganeshaya Namah...
...tathastu... have faith in him...

do good deeds you will get good in return...

Answer 2

Something will always be missing. It is called truth. I am a Hindu by birth and have done all the things a religious Hindu would do, but have since realised the follies of religion and worship.

There are 2500 documented religions in this world and about 100,000 "gods". So everybody is an atheist for some one else. Educate yourself by listening to people like Richard Dawkins instead of listening to religious nonsense. Religion is the root of all evil.

Instead of wasting your time on Puja's, some meditation will help your mind so long as you know that there is nothing mystical about meditation. It is just a relaxation response and actually quite useful. Although overdoing it could cause hallucinations.

Answer 3

There is nothing wrong in the way you are doing the puja.The main thing is you should have Bhakthi in your mind and heart. if you have this some mistakes in doing the puja will not matter. However i appreciate your sincerity and conducting the puja. I have found a web link telling how to do the puja actually. I do the puja reading from this. I have taken a print out and read and do. I am unable to copy it so I am giving the weblink and you can also take a print out and do your puja accordingly. plese also bookmark this link..

http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/articledt.php?art_id=148

Answer 4

Nothing is missing dear... All that is important in prayer is your sincerity and purity of thoughts. "Bhakti" is total submission to God and your faith is the main factor.
You need not give bath to Ganesh everyday or Milk bath every week. Keep the Idol or a photo which is impressing in the Pooja Room. Light a oil lamp and sandle sticks... that will brighten the room and give pleasing fragrance .. ofcourse you can offer flowers as you are doing and then close your eyes and silently or with mild voice say the well known shlokas of Ganesh...."Agajanana Padmarkam... Gajanana Maharnisham... Aneka Dantam Bhaktanam.. Eka Dantam Upasmahe... VAkrathunda Mahakaya... Koti soorya samaprabha...Nirvignam kurume devaa..sarva karyeshu sarvada...".. Ganesh is considered to be the God who will remove all "Vignas" (Hurdles/Difficulties).. and fullfils your prayer to succeed in all your works. That is it... Be sure Ganesh or any God is there to look after the welfare of us.
Difficulties may come as a test to our endurance and efforts.
You say you were happy and of late you feel that you have not done the pooja correctly!.... That is you feel ... There is nothing hard and fast rule... you pray him with all faith and with clear and clean thoughts... you need not think about otherwise. However you can cleanup... rearrange the Idol to your liking and satisfaction with the suggestions from the family members just for a change... and go on with all faith and humility and you will realise your inner ability.

Answer 5

What you are doing is perfectly correct. Nothing is missing. Please continue. In temples there are elaborate procedures for conducting rituals. However in house they are simple.

In India we normally perform simple pooja regularly it is called Shodasa Upachara -- meaning 16 formalities. They are very simple and can be compared to the servcices we extend when any important guest visits our house.

1. Avahana -- Inviting the God to enter the idol
2. Asanam -- Offering him a seat
3. Hastha Prakshalana -- Washing of hands
4.Pada Prakshalana -- Washing of feet
5.Achamana -- Oferring water to drink
6.Snanam == Giving bath
7. Vastram -- oferring clothes
8.Upaveetam -- oferring upper garment
9. Gandham -- Sandal paste on the forehead
10.Kumkum -- Red colour powder to wear on the forehead
11. Pushpam - Flower here while oferringone can repeat the names of God as many times as possible say 10,54,108,1008 etc. The numbers are fixed with significance.
12. Dhupam -- Fragrance sticks burning to offer smell
13.Deepam - Lamp (oil lit)
14.After oferring 12 and 13 again Achamana- leaving some water.
15.Naivedyam -- oferring eatables like fruits, sweets etc. this will be taken by us as prasad given to us by God.
16.Achamana -- to wash the hands after taking the food.
17. Tambulam -- beetal leaf with nut
18.Karpooram - burning camphor and showing to the God
19. Mantrapushpam -- One should take a flower into the hand and think of the desire to be fulfilled and place at the feet of God.

With this the pooja concludes. The articles to be used to perform the pooja are according to ones own capacity capability and availability. Even if flowers alone oferred it is enough. One should be sincere while performing pooja. God wants only our devotion and all the articles will remain with us only. For all the above there are small sanskrit words. One need not bother about them. You can tell in your own language and carry out the above formalities.
While giving bath you can use milk, curd, honey, coconut water, fruit juices, ghee etc. You can use any one or all. But the final bath should be with water. You can also use luke warm water to cleane the idol the oil contents. and wipe with a clean clothe. These items need not be used regularly but can be used on special days or occassions.

Answer 6

My dear brother,

FANTASTIC !!! You are doing the puja in the right way. I am proud of you. LORD GANESH is very simple. In INDIA you can see him where ever you turn. If still you want to add something cut a coconut in front of him, put a small bit of jaggery and finally lit a camphor and show him. this is COMPLETE. YOUR ATTITUDE IS MORE IMPORTANT.

By birth i am a brahmin and I adore you. I pray to LORD GANESH to give you PROSPERITY.

Answer 7

The worship & prayer of a Hindu is the job of his caste, born in by nature, and nothing otherwise. Hindus divided people in 4 categories (Varnas) and hundreds of castes in each Varna. Verses 40-47 Chapter-18 of The Holy Bhagavad Gita are translated below:

""There is no being existing on the Earth, in the celestial spheres or in any universal planetary system which is free from the influence of these three modes of born of material nature. O Arjuna, the activities of the brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras are clearly divided according to the qualities born of their own nature. The actions of a brahmana arising from his own nature are serenity, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge of the Vadas, wisdom and firm faith. The actions of a Ksatriya born of his own nature are heroism, exuberance, determination, resourcefulness, without trace of cowardice in battle, generosity and leadership. The actions of a vaisya born of his own nature are agriculture, cow protection and trade, also the actions of a sudra born of his own nature consists in service to brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas. Following each his own activity, a man achieves finally perfection, now hear how he performer of action prescribed according to qualification attains perfection. From whom is the existence of all living entities, by whom all this is pervaded, through worshipping Him, by ones own actions prescribed according to qualification a man achieves perfection. Ones righteous duty imperfectly done is better than another’s duty done perfectly; by performing actions predicated according to ones own nature sinful one does not incur sinful reactions. Actions prescribed according to ones nature must not be given up. O Arjuna, even if defective; since all endeavors are covered with defects as fire is covered by smoke.""

Answer 8

What ever you are doing is correct,do it with whole heartedly as your doing the same..........the inner feeling is making you feel,like missing something & you believe that priest do the best offerings than the common individuals ......don't worry,keep going....all the best.

Answer 9

Yes you can find online good Puja manner at http://www.sarnam.com/

Answer 10

O' Ganesha, give me intelligence so that rest of, I will achieve my self and won't harass you any more.