Amma's Discourses on Ganesha Chaturthi

Maha Ganesha Nija Rupa Darshanam

The auspicious moment of the moon entering into Chaturthi on the fourth day of the waxing moon. In observation of this supremely auspicious moment, devotees can witness the true form of Lord Sri Ganesha at Divine Mother’s Manidweepa abode.

Navagraha Dosha Nivarana Divya Jyoti

The divine ghee lamp that removes negative effects of all the nine planets will be lit in front of Lord Ganesha.

Sri Gaulakshmi Puja

The program activities will start with a very special and powerful worship of Sri Gau Mata or Cow Puja..

Alaya Pravesham

Devotees will begin their journey to the temple as a procession starting at the simha dwara or the main entrance, where Sri Lakshmi Ganapati is situated. The procession will be lead by devotees carrying kaavadis in which they will carry a variety of auspicious ingredients used for worship. There will be kaavadis carrying milk, flowers, sandalwood, modukas, garika, holy grass, bilva, apple wood leaves, sindhur, a type of vermilion, and lotus flowers, respectively. As devotees carry these kaavadis, they will be accompanied with mangala vaadyas or auspicious music of drums and pipes, and loud chants of Jai Ganesha! Jai Ganesha! Jai Ganesha! from all devotees. The procession will eventually reach the entrance of the temple, and devotees will then enter the temple. Devotees can come to Penusila, participate in this procession, and carry one of these kaavadis in person. Or else, they can sponsor a kaavadi and have a devotee carry it on behalf of them in the procession.

Svasti Vachanam

As per the tradition of Sanatana Dharma, vedic mantras will be chanted as a prayer for peace and welfare of all beings upon the earth, prior to the start of all worship events of the day.

Punyah Vachanam

Next, vedic mantras will be chanted and rituals performed to energize water, which will then be sprinkled throughout the temple complex in order to sanctify the place and the people.

Navakalasha Pratishtha

Then, nava-kalashas, nine water pots will be installed for invoking Lord Ganesha. In the main kalasha, Sri Lakshmi Ganesha will be installed, and in the remaining eight kalashas, Lord Ganesha in the form of Ashta Ganapatis will be installed by chanting appropriate Vedic mantras.

Maha Abhishekam

Next, the supremely powerful maha abhishekam or devotional bathing of Lord Sri Ganesha will be performed. The sacred bath will begin with holy water procured from all sacred rivers including Ganges, Godavari, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri, Krishnaveni, Tungabhadra, and others. As these waters are poured on Lord Ganesha with 108 most sacred dakshinavrita shankhas, Ganapati Atharvasirsha mantras are chanted to make the whole ceremony most sacred and powerful. This will be followed by a sacred bath with milk to the chants of Sri Ganesha Suktam. Then, as a last step of the maha abhisheka, there will be sacred bath with sixteen types of sacred ingredients performed to the chanting of vedic mantras. The sixteen ingredients are: sesame oil mixed with akshatas, energized rice and sacred durva grass, clarified butter from cow’s milk, cow’s milk, yogurt, mango juice, dry fruit pieces, sandalwood powder or paste, sugar cane juice, sacred ash, turmeric powder and vermilion powder, flowers and nine gems, sacred durva grass, bilva, wood apple leaves, lotuses, warm water, and finally panneeru or fragrant water. This supremely powerful sacred bath ceremony performed with one hundred dakshinavrita shankhas is quite rare and is performed at Penushila only once in a year, on Ganesha Chaturthi.

Nutana Vastra Samarpana

Lord Sri Ganesha will be offered nutana vastra, new silk clothes to the chanting of sacred vedic mantras.

Yagnopaveeta Samarpana

After offering new clothes, Sri Ganesha will be offered suvarna yagnopaveeta, sacred thread made of gold, once again amidst chants of vedic mantras.

Maha Puja

Sri Ganesha will then be worshipped in a grand way with several sacred ingredients including swetha arka pushpas(white crown flowers), sacred durva grass, lotuses, bilva leaves, red flowers, and red sandalwood paste.

Maha Naivedya Samarpana

After the grand worship, Sri Ganesha will be offered maha naivedyam or supreme offering of sanctified food. The food preparations will include a huge heap of rice, sugarcane, kudumulu (steamed round balls made of rice) 1,001 modukas, and 1,008 laddus.

Tambula Samarpana

Sri Ganesha will then be offered tambulam, or beetle leaves, together with nut powder, fruits, and flowers.

Maha Harati Samarpana

As a final step of the worship at the temple, Sri Ganesha will be offered maha harati or grand offering of lighted lamps. The offering of lighted lamps will be done in accordance with Vedic custom and tradition. It will begin with a single wick lamp and steadily progresses culminating with a meru or pyramid of lights, where several lighted lamps are arranged into a tall cone shaped form.