Q&A for How to Pray to the Hindu God Ganesh

Richness comes from the internal mind. When we pray we are looking for internal peace and prosperity, not material wealth.

Of course! Ganesha is a very benevolent god and he will most certainly listen to you!

You should. Ganesha is certainly the proper god to ask help from in such a circumstance.

Yes, you can. If you sincerely pray to Lord Ganesha, he will accept any offering.

Yes, murtis of Lord Ganesh can be made of marble, wood, sandalwood, shwetark root, coral, stone, crystal (sphatik), shaadu clay, gemstone, quartz, etc. These are the most holy and favorable materials used for temple and home deities.

Well, that would be up to decide. If someone believes in the Hindu gods, then they are real to them.

You pray him the same way, you just don't need to cover your head. You can apply the tikka on your forehead.

There is. It is called "Rakhi", usually red in colour and mostly worn by Shaktas and Vaishnavas. It is considered protective against evil spirits and black magic.

To help ward off obstacles that might get in our paths while worshipping other gods!

Of course not! Ganesh is here to help you and give you guidance.

You can pray or chant mantras to it anytime you want, and you can keep it with the other gods.

By praying to him and following the right path as laid out in the Bhagvad Geeta. Lord Ganesh likes "modak," a kind of sweet; he will be happy if you make them yourself and offer it to him.

The offerings are meant for showing your devotion to the god. They can be distributed to the family and anyone who is willing to accept it as a "prasad". Prasad is something that comes from the leftovers of the offerings made to God. The leftovers that are unusable can be offered to the birds and insects or left in a clean place.

Examine yourself. It is possible that you may have offended him or engaged in a sacrilegious act. If you are able to remember what it is, you should ask for his mercy and absolve yourself with water from any of the seven holy rivers (Ganga, Jamuna, Kaveri, Narmada, Saraswati, Sarayu or Sindhu). If you are geographically far from these rivers, wash yourself with natural water. Keep in mind that Ganesha represents all the Hindu gods, and an offense to any is an offense to him. Repeat the Gayatri Mantra 108 times on a rosary, and be sure to do so with a contrite heart. He will forgive you.

Show him reverence, do everything stated above, visualize him, and then approach him and ask him in his right ear.

First, buy an idol or picture of Lord Ganesha. Create an altar in a private room where you are sure that nobody would visit, such as your study or attic. Then, have a priest come to your house at a time when you are alone and conduct the necessary ceremonies on the altar. Try to find a Ganesha temple (Mandir, in Hindi) and worship there. Remember to come with sweet treats native to your area, like bananas, apples, etc. Partake in any festival that honors Ganesha, such as Ganesha Chaturthi, Navratri, or Diwali at the temple.

You can use ground nut oil, soybean oil, or best of all, ghee, for lighting diya. You can use candles as well, as our main motive is to brighten the light, as fire purifies the surrounding.

Ask for forgiveness and immerse the idol in flowing water. Do not hold any superstition or bad omen in your mind. Lord Ganesh is ever-merciful.

Nakedness is only bad if you see it that way. These deities won't see anything aside from your intent.

A great devotee called Bhavme had red skin, who did penance for thousand years and got a boon. Bhaume means son of Earth (Bhumi putra). Bhaumevar is Tuesday, so it is called as Angarakhi. For Lord Ganesha Tuesday is the best day and most auspecious day.

I asked Lord Ganesha to bring favor to my boyfriend's job prospects. Several months after applying, he has been hired and is really enjoying his new job.

Traditionally Ganesh Chaturthi, which falls on Bhadrapad month of the Hindu calendar, was celebrated at the banks of the river by people creating a clay image of Dear Lord Ganesha with the fresh clay that gets cleaned during monsoon season, placing him on the left hand, and offering the ritualistic prayers and pooja. They would immerse that clay image into the river waters immediately after the pooja gets completed. But we humans are festive celebration lovers, so then as the time passed the people started to bring the clay images of Lord Ganesha home and worship him for 1.5, 3, 5, 7, 10 days (an odd number of days are preferred) and started celebrating this festival with great enthusiasm and pomp.

Place sweets around him and try to incorporate the color red. You can bathe him in sacred milk and then dress him in red cloth. Place a garland around his neck.

Yes, you most certainly can. Just try to avoid using items that are forbidden as offerings to Ganesha, as that would be considered disrespectful and would defeat the purpose of worship.

You must pray regularly to Ganesh in order to receive a response. If you are asking something again and again but never stop to thank him for all he has already done, then he will feel you are taking advantage of him. Be patient and be grateful.

An idol of Ganesha in a seated pose is best for the home. It represents calm energy.

Yes. Lord Ganesha wants everyone to know him. He is a very kind god, so if you know him, he can help you.

It's a form of light, so yes. Ganesha needs your love and devotion, so just make your offering with an open heart.

Hindus believe that there is one god, and that god has many forms. If you wish to believe that Allah and Ganesh are the same, then you may do so.

The best image of Ganesha to have at home is either him in a sitting posture, ideally seated alongside Lakshmi and Saraswati. If you want to have an idol, you can have him in the sitting posture, which is considered best for the home. But ensure that you perform Puja daily and maintain good hygiene and pure faith on him.