On Ganesh Chaturthi, an idol of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, is installed at home or in a pandal and worshipped for ten days. For the exact date and muhurat, see the Ganesh Chaturthi muhurat article; this guide covers how to do the puja itself, from samagri to visarjan.

Puja samagri (items needed)

  • Ganesha idol (a clay idol is preferred over Plaster of Paris)
  • A wooden chowki (platform) and a red or yellow cloth
  • Kalash, coconut, betel nut, akshat (unbroken rice)
  • Roli, sandalwood paste, turmeric-kumkum
  • 21 pairs of durva grass blades
  • Red flowers, hibiscus in particular
  • Sacred thread (janeu), moli (red thread)
  • Diya, ghee, camphor, incense sticks
  • Modak or laddoo, panchamrit, betel leaf

Sthapana and puja steps

  1. Clean the puja area and bathe before taking the sankalp (vow) for the puja.
  2. Place the idol on the chowki over a red cloth, in the northeast corner of the home, facing north or east.
  3. Set up the kalash, then offer akshat, roli and a sandalwood tilak to the idol.
  4. Offer durva grass, said to be Ganesha’s favourite offering.
  5. Offer flowers, then light the diya and incense.
  6. Offer modak or laddoo as bhog.
  7. Chant the mantras, perform the aarti, then do a parikrama (circumambulation).
  8. Distribute the prasad among family and guests.

Mantras and aarti

  • Beej mantra: Om Gam Ganapataye Namah
  • Ganesh Gayatri: Om Ekadantaya Vidmahe Vakratundaya Dhimahi Tanno Danti Prachodayat
  • The aarti “Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh Deva” is sung every morning and evening.

Through the ten days

While the idol stays at home, perform the aarti morning and evening, refresh the durva grass and flowers daily, and keep offering modak. Keep the area around the idol clean and calm.

Do’s and don’ts

  • Looking at the moon on the night of Ganesh Chaturthi is traditionally avoided, linked to the story of false accusation (mithya kalank) around the Syamantaka gem. If it happens by accident, there is a specific shloka from that story recited to counter it.
  • Do not bring home a chipped or damaged idol.
  • Keep meals simple and vegetarian at home during the puja days.
  • Choose a clay idol. Plaster of Paris idols do not dissolve in rivers or lakes and add to water pollution.

Visarjan

Before visarjan, perform a final aarti and offer a prayer asking forgiveness for any mistakes made during the puja. The idol is then taken to the immersion site with dhol-tasha, immersed in water with the chant “Ganpati Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya” (come again early next year). For the exact visarjan window, check the muhurat page for your city’s Rahu Kaal on that day.

Visarjan abroad: the bucket method

Most cities outside India don’t have a river or lake where idol immersion is permitted, and many US and UK municipalities prohibit putting clay into public waterways. The workaround most NRI families use is a bucket or tub immersion at home: fill it with water, perform the closing aarti and forgiveness prayer, then immerse the idol until it fully dissolves, which for a genuine clay idol takes a few hours to a day depending on size. Once dissolved, the clay-water mixture is typically poured into a potted plant or garden soil rather than down a drain, keeping the immersion grounded in earth as the ritual intends.

Choosing the right idol size for a bucket immersion

Decide this before Chaturthi, not on visarjan day. An idol taller than 12 to 14 inches often doesn’t fully dissolve in a household bucket, leaving families with a partially dissolved idol they aren’t sure how to handle. Most NRI households doing a home visarjan choose a smaller idol, typically 6 to 9 inches, precisely because it’s practical for full dissolution indoors. If a larger idol is wanted for sthapana, some families keep a separate small clay idol just for visarjan.