Before you begin
Clean and prepare the puja space, arrange the murti or image respectfully, gather the required samagri and choose a time that is appropriate for your city and tradition.
- 1Confirm the date and local puja window.
- 2Prepare the chowki, clean cloth, kalash, diya, flowers, durva, offerings and other household requirements.
- 3Keep the space calm and ensure family members understand the planned sequence.
A simple worship sequence
A formal Shodashopachara puja has sixteen offerings. A household ceremony may be shorter or may be led by a priest; do not treat one simplified internet sequence as universal.
- 1Begin with deep-prajwalan and sankalpa according to your family practice.
- 2Meditate upon Lord Ganesha and, for a newly installed murti, follow the advised avahana and pratishthapana steps.
- 3Offer water, cloth or symbolic vastra, gandha, flowers, durva, dhoop, deep and naivedya as guided.
- 4Recite the prayers or mantras familiar to your household and perform aarti.
- 5Offer pranam and distribute prasad respectfully.
What changes between homes
Language, mantras, the number and order of offerings, fasting practices and whether a priest leads the ceremony can all differ. If you are installing a murti for Ganeshotsav, ask your priest about the correct sthapana and later visarjan procedure.