| Performance
of Ganesh Pooja |
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Ganesh
Chathurthi
Send Ganesh Chathurthi offerings to your family
This year, if you are away from home or are alone let us guide you to perform this vratham.
About the pooja process--
Clean the pooja area with a clean wet cloth. Place a wooden plank (mandap) smeared with turmeric paste and spread a new white cloth on the mandap. Place rice on the cloth and the idol on it. The idol should be facing north.
For the pooja, prepare a moound of turmeric paste and place a kumkum tilak on it. Every pooja begins with invoking this mound which is the purest form of Ganesha. One of the unique things of Ganesha pooja is that besides flowers, leaves and grass are also offered.
Specifically in Andhra Pradesh, a pali (a chequered bamboo frame) is placed on top of the pooja mandap. The pali serves as a hanger to tie fruits, which should be oddly numbered starting from five to 21. Wood apple and sugarcane are supposed to be the
favorites of Ganesha.
Since the Ganesha is the lord of wisdom, books are placed beside the mandap too for his blessings. Also prepare akshintalu (mixture of rice and turmeric powder). Once you have finished decorating the mandap, the pooja can begin.
First light a lamp and agarbathi. Then break a coconut and place it in front of the god. Pass on the akshitalu to all those who participate in the pooja. It should be offered to god at the end of the pooja.
Consult the almanac before starting the pooja, the chaturthi should set in to begin the vratham. Start the pooja by chanting Vinakaya Stotram, followed by Sri Vinayaka Ashtotra Satanamavalli. While reading out the ashtotra, one by one place the flowers and leaves in front of the god. Then read out the story of Vinayaka vratham. End the pooja by offering the prasadam and aarthi.
The idol should be immersed in water, either on the same day or any odd day within 10 days. It is believed that looking at the moon on that brings bad omen for the entire year. Moon was cursed by Ganesha when the former giggled at the sight of the huge Ganesha on the tiny mouse.
About the prasadam---
It is believed that Vinayaka likes steamed food and hence most of the delicacies are steam cooked for the prasadam. The most famous is modak or Kudumulu as it is called in Andhra.
Though everything should be made fresh in the morning of the pooja, you can bend the rule a bit. Like the rice powder can be prepared the night before, but remember to have a bath and wash the kitchen before you start. Otherwise if you have the drive then go ahead and get up before the break of dawn to begin the preparation for the prasadam. Remember to have bath before you start any preparations.
The basic ingredient for most of the items is rice powder. To prepare it soak the rice for atleast two hours and then dry it on a cloth. It should be a little wet if the powder has to come out fine. Sieve this rice flour and set aside.
Next is preparation of the rice dough, for which you need to boil water (for one portion of rice powder, you need to boil two portions of water). Once the water reaches boiling point, stir in the rice powder. Remember to mix in one direction only. This mixture should reach the consistency of dough before you remove from fire.
To prepare the filling for Kudumullu, mix grated coconut and jaggery in a thick bottomed pan and heat it till the moisture evaporates and the jaggery reaches sticky consistency.
For another filling boil chana dal. Grind this dal coarsely along with jaggery. Put this mixture on stove once again to remove any moisture.
To make the Kudumullu, roll out thick small puri's out of the rice dough and place any one of the fillings in it. Pick up the sides and twist on top and your Kudumullu are ready to be steamed.
Another variety of Kudumullu is prepared out of batter of udad dal. Soak udad dal and grind it. Prepare cups out of jack fruit leaves in which this batter is steamed. This is similar to idilis sans the rice or rava.
With the same dough and filling another sweet Kajjikayalu is prepared. For this once again roll out small puri's and stuff it with the filling of your choice. However, the filling should be placed on one half. Draw the other half over the filling. To ensure that the puri is sealed well dab the entire circumference of the puri with water. The Kajikayalu are now ready to be steamed.
With the same rice dough make oblong and round shaped balls called Oondarallu. Some of the Oondarallu are to be added to the kheer and others are to be placed on the prasadam platter.
In the olden days Kudumullu were steamed on hay in the vessel. If you have the inclination you can still try it, the flavour is distinctly different. Otherwise place a fresh cloth in the idli stands and put the Kudumullu for steaming. Without the cloth, the items are likely to stick to the stand.
The kheer (paravannam) on this occasion is prepared in a different style. For the kheer boil water (for one portion of rice, two portions of water) and add jaggery to it. Strain it and put it back on the stove. Now add soaked channa dal, diced coconut and the balls of rice dough to it. Once they are cooked stir in the rice powder and mix in one direction only, till it is cooked (for about five to 10 minutes). Remove from fire and add cardamom powder.
Another must on the prasadam platter is soaked and boiled black gram.
Most importantly, naivejyam (offering of prasadam) is incomplete without the chanividi vadapappu. Chanividi is dough of rice powder and sugar. Vadapappu is a mixture of soaked moong dal and sugar. Both the chanividi and vadappau should be served together on betel leaves. The rest of prasadam if possible should be served on banana leaves or silver plates.
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