We worship the single-tusked one who is like the sun to the lotus-face of Parvati, the elephant-faced lord who removes the countless obstacles of his devotees, day and night.
Sankalpam
Fill in your details once — they will appear in the sankalpam below
ममोपात्त समस्त दुरितक्षय द्वारा श्रीपरमेश्वर प्रीत्यर्थं, अद्य ब्राह्मणः द्वितीयपरार्धे, श्वेतवराहकल्पे, वैवस्वत मन्वन्तरे, कलियुगे, प्रथमपादे, जम्बूद्वीपे, भरतवर्षे, भरतखण्डे, मेरोर्दक्षिणदिग्भागे, श्रीशैलस्य प्रदेशे, अस्मिन् वर्तमान व्यावहारिक चान्द्रमानेन श्री Parabhava नाम संवत्सरे, भाद्रपद मासे, शुक्ल पक्षे, चतुर्थ्यां तिथौ, Sunday वासरे, [nakshatram] नक्षत्रे, शुभयोगे, शुभकरण एवं गुणविशेषण विशिष्टायां शुभतिथौ, श्रीमान् [gotra] गोत्रस्य, [name] नामधेयस्य, सकुटुम्बस्य क्षेम स्थैर्य विजय अभय आयुरारोग्य ऐश्वर्याभिवृद्ध्यर्थं, श्री वरसिद्धि विनायक देवता मुद्दिस्य श्री वरसिद्धि विनायक देवता पूजां करिष्ये ॥
( Decorate the kalasha with turmeric, kumkum and sandalwood, fill with water and place a flower on top — then sprinkle its water on the pooja items, the idol, and your own head. )
Vishnu resides at the mouth of the kalasha, Rudra at its neck, Brahma at its base, and the divine mothers in its middle — may the sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Sarasvati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri be present in this water.
ॐ श्री महागणाधिपतये नमः । ध्यानावाहनादि षोडशोपचार पूजां करिष्ये ।
( Shape a small Ganapathi from turmeric, place it on a betel leaf, meditate upon it, then offer flowers, akshatalu and jaggery. )
Prana Pratishta & Shodashopachara
The 16-step worship of the main Ganesha idol
1.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः ध्यायामि ।
Dhyanam — meditation
2.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः आवाहयामि ।
Avahanam — invocation
3.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः आसनं समर्पयामि ।
Asanam — offering a seat
4.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः पाद्यं समर्पयामि ।
Padyam — washing the feet
5.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः अर्घ्यं समर्पयामि ।
Arghyam — offering water for the hands
6.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः आचमनीयं समर्पयामि ।
Achamaneeyam — offering water for sipping
7.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः स्नानं समर्पयामि ।
Snanam — ceremonial bath
8.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः वस्त्रयुग्मं समर्पयामि ।
Vastram — offering a pair of garments
9.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः यज्ञोपवीतं समर्पयामि ।
Yajnopaveetam — offering the sacred thread
10.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः श्रीगन्धं समर्पयामि ।
Gandham — offering sandalwood paste
11.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः अक्षतान् समर्पयामि ।
Akshatan — offering akshatalu
12.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः पुष्पाणि समर्पयामि ।
Fragrant with the ten aromatics and guggulu, pleasing to the mind — O son of Uma, salutations to you; accept this and grant us your boons. — Dhoopam: offering incense
14.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः दीपं दर्शयामि ।
Deepam — showing the lamp
15.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः नैवेद्यं समर्पयामि ।
Naivedyam — offering undrallu, kudumulu, garelu, payasam, laddus and other sweets
16.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धि विनायकाय नमः ताम्बूलं नीराजनं समर्पयामि ।
Offer akshatalu with each name, or simply listen along
1.ॐ विनायकाय नमः
2.ॐ विघ्नराजाय नमः
3.ॐ गौरीपुत्राय नमः
4.ॐ गणेश्वराय नमः
5.ॐ स्कन्दाग्रजाय नमः
6.ॐ अव्ययाय नमः
7.ॐ पूताय नमः
8.ॐ दक्षाय नमः
9.ॐ अध्यक्षाय नमः
10.ॐ द्विजप्रियाय नमः
11.ॐ अग्निगर्भच्छिदे नमः
12.ॐ इन्द्रश्रीप्रदाय नमः
13.ॐ वाणीप्रदाय नमः
14.ॐ अव्ययाय नमः
15.ॐ सर्वसिद्धिप्रदाय नमः
16.ॐ शर्वतनयाय नमः
17.ॐ शर्वरिप्रियाय नमः
18.ॐ सर्वात्मकाय नमः
19.ॐ सृष्टिकर्त्रे नमः
20.ॐ देवाय नमः
21.ॐ अनेकात्मकाय नमः
22.ॐ शिवप्रियाय नमः
23.ॐ शीघ्रकारिणे नमः
24.ॐ शाश्वताय नमः
25.ॐ बलाय नमः
26.ॐ बलोत्थिताय नमः
27.ॐ भवात्मजाय नमः
28.ॐ पुराणपुरुषाय नमः
29.ॐ पूष्णे नमः
30.ॐ पुष्करकृते नमः
31.ॐ पुण्यकृते नमः
32.ॐ रामप्रियाय नमः
33.ॐ रामभक्ताय नमः
34.ॐ रमापरिपूजिताय नमः
35.ॐ विघ्नकर्त्रे नमः
36.ॐ विघ्नहर्त्रे नमः
37.ॐ विश्वनेत्रे नमः
38.ॐ एकदन्ताय नमः
39.ॐ द्विदेहकाय नमः
40.ॐ चतुर्बाहवे नमः
41.ॐ त्रिविक्रमाय नमः
42.ॐ भक्ताय नमः
43.ॐ वरदाय नमः
44.ॐ विष्णुप्रियाय नमः
45.ॐ कुमारगुरवे नमः
46.ॐ अक्षोभ्याय नमः
47.ॐ प्रसन्नवदनाय नमः
48.ॐ मूषिकवाहनाय नमः
49.ॐ सिद्धिप्रदाय नमः
50.ॐ विघ्नराजाय नमः
51.ॐ लम्बोदराय नमः
52.ॐ शूर्पकर्णाय नमः
53.ॐ श्रीमते नमः
54.ॐ ब्रह्मणे नमः
55.ॐ विष्णवे नमः
56.ॐ शिवाय नमः
57.ॐ शान्ताय नमः
58.ॐ कान्तिमते नमः
59.ॐ गजाननाय नमः
60.ॐ वरप्रदाय नमः
61.ॐ महाकालाय नमः
62.ॐ महातपसे नमः
63.ॐ महोदराय नमः
64.ॐ महाबलाय नमः
65.ॐ हेरम्बाय नमः
66.ॐ विकटाय नमः
67.ॐ श्रीकराय नमः
68.ॐ सौम्याय नमः
69.ॐ भक्तवत्सलाय नमः
70.ॐ मुक्तिदाय नमः
71.ॐ निधिप्रदाय नमः
72.ॐ ज्ञानमुद्राय नमः
73.ॐ आनन्ददाय नमः
74.ॐ मायिने नमः
75.ॐ कामिने नमः
76.ॐ कपिलाय नमः
77.ॐ भास्कराय नमः
78.ॐ स्थूलतुण्डाय नमः
79.ॐ शुभदाय नमः
80.ॐ अनन्ताय नमः
81.ॐ हेरम्बाय नमः
82.ॐ चतुर्भुजाय नमः
83.ॐ रत्नगर्भाय नमः
84.ॐ जितकामाय नमः
85.ॐ यज्ञकाय नमः
86.ॐ जितक्रोधाय नमः
87.ॐ प्रसन्नात्मने नमः
88.ॐ निष्कलङ्काय नमः
89.ॐ सत्यधर्मिणे नमः
90.ॐ स्वच्छन्दाय नमः
91.ॐ सिद्धिदायिने नमः
92.ॐ सर्वज्ञाय नमः
93.ॐ सर्वोत्तमाय नमः
94.ॐ सत्यव्रताय नमः
95.ॐ नित्याय नमः
96.ॐ निर्विघ्नाय नमः
97.ॐ धर्मकृते नमः
98.ॐ दयाकराय नमः
99.ॐ विनायकाय नमः
100.ॐ सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायकाय नमः
101.ॐ श्री वरसिद्धिविनायकाय नमः
102.ॐ शिवसूनवे नमः
103.ॐ गणाध्यक्षाय नमः
104.ॐ मूषकवाहनाय नमः
105.ॐ विघ्ननाशकाय नमः
106.ॐ कामरूपिणे नमः
107.ॐ सर्वदेवमयाय नमः
108.ॐ श्री महाशक्ति पुत्राय नमः
Vinayaka Vratha Katha
The complete Vinayaka Vratha Katha — birth, Ganadhipathyam, the moon’s curse, the Syamantaka jewel, and Damayanti’s story
Reading level
Story script
Why This Story Is Told — Dharmaraja’s Question at Naimisharanya
Long ago, Dharmaraja lost his kingdom and all his wealth through the scheming of his own kinsmen. Grieving, he wandered through the forests with his wife and brothers until he came at last to the sacred forest of Naimisharanya. There he found Sootha Maharshi teaching the secrets of the Puranas to Shaunaka Maharshi and the assembled sages. Dharmaraja approached with humility and asked, "O sage, we have lost our kingdom and all we possessed. Is there some simple vow that could end these hardships and restore our former glory?" In answer, Sootha Maharshi began to recount an older exchange: once, Kumaraswami had asked his father Bhagawan Shiva, "Father, which vow grants a person the increase of their lineage, the fulfillment of their desires, and every auspiciousness and victory?" Shiva replied, "My son, the Vinayaka Vratham is supreme among vows — it is the one that bestows all prosperity." This vow, Shiva explained, should be observed on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada. And so Sootha Maharshi began to tell Dharmaraja the very stories that explain this vow’s power and its origin.
Bhagawan Ganesha’s Birth — The Elephant Head
Long ago, Devi Parvati was about to bathe and, wanting no one to disturb her, took the turmeric paste she had applied to her own body and shaped it into the form of a boy, breathing life into him. She set him at the door as her guard, saying, "Let no one enter until I return," and went inside. Soon after, Bhagawan Shiva arrived. The boy had never seen him before, and so, obeying his mother’s word, he barred the way. "I am Parvati’s own husband, and I will enter," Shiva told him, but the boy would not yield. Enraged, Shiva drew his trident and struck off the boy’s head. When Parvati emerged from her bath and saw her son’s lifeless body, she wept bitterly, and then, in her fury at his death, vowed to destroy all of creation. The gods, terrified, rushed to appease her. She relented only on the condition that her son be restored to life and granted the honor of being worshipped before every other god. Shiva sent his attendants out with instructions to bring back the head of the very first creature they found lying with its head turned toward the north. They came upon a young elephant and brought its head back. Shiva fixed it upon the boy’s body and breathed life into him once more. Thus the boy, now elephant-faced, came to be known as Bhagawan Ganesha — Vinayaka.
Ganadhipathyam — How Bhagawan Ganesha Became Lord of the Ganas
After the elephant head was fixed upon him and he was restored to life, a question arose between Bhagawan Ganesha and his brother Kumaraswami: who would be made chief of Bhagawan Shiva’s ganas? The gods went to Shiva and asked him to settle the matter. Shiva turned to his two sons and declared, "Whichever of you bathes in every sacred river across the three worlds and returns to me first shall receive this authority." The moment he heard this, Kumaraswami mounted his peacock and set off at great speed, determined to visit every holy river in creation. Ganesha, however, did not hurry at all. He simply stood before his parents, Devi Parvati and Shiva, and began circling them while chanting the Narayana mantra. "The word Nara means water," he explained, "and every water in creation belongs to Narayana. To circle my parents, then, is to have bathed in every sacred river there is." Through the power of that chant, wherever Kumaraswami arrived — at any river, at any holy crossing — he found that Ganesha had somehow already been there before him. By the time Kumaraswami completed his long journey and returned, exhausted, he found Ganesha standing exactly where he had left him, still before their parents. Shiva and Parvati, delighted by his wisdom and devotion, granted him lordship over the ganas on the spot. From that day forward, it became the custom that no auspicious undertaking begins without first worshipping Ganesha.
Chandra Parihasam — The Moon’s Mockery and Bhagawan Ganesha’s Curse
Now Ganadhipathi, Bhagawan Ganesha one day feasted at the homes of all the gods, eating his fill of kudumulu and undrallu, and set off for the heavens on his mouse. Along the way, a snake suddenly crossed his path, and the mouse, startled, bolted. Ganesha tumbled to the ground, and the sweets packed into his belly spilled out around him. Unbothered, he gathered them all back up, tucked them into his stomach once more, and — seeing the very snake that had frightened his mount lying nearby — picked it up and tied it around his waist as a belt. Watching all this from the sky, the moon burst out laughing at the sight. Ganesha, stung by the mockery, broke off one of his own tusks and hurled it toward the moon in anger. "You take such pride in your beauty that you would laugh at another’s misfortune," he said. "From this day on, whoever looks upon you on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada shall be falsely accused of wrongdoing!" Terrified by the curse, the moon realized his fault and begged Ganesha’s forgiveness, pleading that his light not be dimmed forever. Moved by his plea, Ganesha softened the curse: it would not last for all time, but would fall only upon those who saw the moon on that one day, Bhadrapada Shuddha Chaturthi.
Syamantakopakhyanam — Bhagawan Sri Krishna and the Jewel of the Sun
In the age of Dwapara, Bhagawan Sri Krishna once happened to glimpse the moon’s reflection in a bowl of milk — and that day was Bhadrapada Shuddha Chaturthi. Around that same time, a Yadava named Satrajit had performed intense penance to the Sun god, and Surya Bhagawan appeared before him and granted him a divine gem called the Syamantaka. Whoever wore it purely would receive eight loads of gold each day — but the gem demanded purity from its wearer, and impurity in the one who wore it would bring death. Satrajit gave the jewel to his brother Prasenajit, who wore it around his neck and rode into the forest to hunt. There, a lion mistook the gem’s brilliance for a piece of raw meat, killed Prasenajit, and carried the jewel away. A great bear-king named Jambavanta slew that lion and gave the gem to his daughter Jambavati as a plaything. When Prasenajit failed to return, whispers spread through the kingdom that Sri Krishna himself had killed him for the jewel. To clear his name, Sri Krishna set out into the forest alone. He found Prasenajit’s half-eaten body, followed the lion’s tracks from there, and came at last to a cave. Inside, he found a child in a cradle, playing with the very jewel as a toy. When Sri Krishna reached for it, Jambavanta, enraged, fell upon him in battle. For twenty-eight days the two fought without pause, neither yielding. At last, exhausted, Jambavanta looked closely at the one who had defeated him and recognized him — this was the very Sri Rama he had once served faithfully in the Treta Yuga. He fell at Sri Krishna’s feet, offering both his daughter Jambavati and the Syamantaka jewel as gifts. Sri Krishna returned to Dwaraka and, before the full court, handed the jewel back to Satrajit, clearing himself of the false accusation once and for all. Satrajit, ashamed of his suspicion, gave his own daughter Satyabhama to Sri Krishna in marriage as well. It was Narada Maharshi who later told Sri Krishna the source of his troubles — that the fault lay in having glimpsed the moon on Chaturthi — and advised him that only the Vinayaka Vratham could remove such a curse. Sri Krishna performed the vow with full devotion, and was freed completely from every accusation that had fallen upon him.
Nala and Damayanti — How Sraddha and Bhakti Won the Vow’s Fruit
Sootha Maharshi gave Dharmaraja yet another example of this vow’s power. Long ago, Damayanti, princess of Vidarbha, heard of the virtues of Nala, king of Nishada, through a royal swan that carried word between them, and she came to love him without ever having met him. But her devotion was not idle longing — every year, on Bhadrapada Shuddha Chaturthi, she observed the Vinayaka Vratham with unwavering sraddha, never missing the day, never performing it carelessly, believing that such discipline alone could bring her heart’s rightful desire to pass. When her swayamvara — the ceremony where she would choose her own husband — was announced, Nala was invited among the assembled kings. But word of his beauty and virtue had reached the gods themselves, and Indra, Agni, Varuna, and Yama each desired her for their own, and each took on Nala’s exact form to appear at the swayamvara hall. When Damayanti entered, she found not one Nala before her but five, identical in every way, and she did not know how to tell the true one from the divine imitations. In that moment of confusion, she did not simply follow her heart, which could not tell the five apart any better than her eyes could — she turned inward instead, calling upon the very bhakti and sraddha she had built up year after year, and prayed silently to Bhagawan Ganesha to let her see truly. "I have kept faith with this vow without fail," she said inwardly. "Let that faith now be my sight." Moved by her devotion and constancy, the gods revealed their true natures: their feet cast no shadows, their eyes never blinked, their garlands never wilted — divine signs the real Nala, being mortal, could not share. Seeing this small but certain difference, Damayanti recognized the true Nala and placed the wedding garland around his neck. It was, she always believed, not merely her love but the sraddha and bhakti built through years of the Vinayaka Vratham that had sharpened her sight enough to find him — proof that steady devotion, not desire alone, was what carried her through.
The Fruit of Hearing This Story — Dharmaraja’s Kingdom Restored
Having told all these stories, Sootha Maharshi turned to Dharmaraja and said, "O king, whoever worships Bhagawan Ganesha in this manner on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada, and reads or hears this story, and places akshatalu upon their head, will suffer no ill effect even if they happen to glimpse the moon that day. To those who observe this vow with devotion every year, it grants — to a student, learning; to one who desires wealth, wealth; to one who longs for children, children; to one seeking marriage, marriage; and to one seeking liberation, liberation itself. This vow may be observed by women and men of every station alike; Ganesha’s grace falls upon all equally." Hearing this, Dharmaraja, together with his brothers, observed the Vinayaka Vratham with full devotion that very year, on Bhadrapada Shuddha Chaturthi, exactly as he had been taught. In time, through the fruit of that vow, he recovered the kingdom and the wealth he had lost, and lived on in peace and happiness with his brothers ever after. And so it is said that whoever reads or hears this story receives that same blessing — the very promise Sootha Maharshi had made.
Mantrapushpam & Closing Prayers
Offering flowers, circumambulation, and seeking forgiveness before the closing aarti
( Mantrapushpam — offer a handful of flowers as you recite this verse. )
O lord of the ganas, salutations to you, destroyer of great sins; son of Isha, granter of all accomplishments; single-tusked, single-faced one whose mount is the mouse; teacher and elder of Kumara — to you I offer this handful of flowers.
( Kshamapana Prarthana — a closing prayer of surrender, seeking forgiveness for errors in this and past births, recited before the final aarti. )
I am sin, my deeds are sin, my very self is sinful, born of sin — save me, O Lord, out of your compassion, you who are kind to those who take refuge in you. I have no other refuge; you alone are my refuge — therefore, out of your compassion, protect me, protect me, O Vinayaka.
Mangala Harathi
जयदेव जयदेव जय मङ्गलमूर्ते ।
दर्शनमात्रे मनकामना पूर्ते ॥
Victory to you, O auspicious one — the mere sight of you fulfills every wish.
Ganesha Harathi
Jai Ganesh Deva — waved with a lit lamp before the deity
जय गणेश जय गणेश जय गणेश देवा ।
माता जाकी पार्वती पिता महादेवा ॥
Victory, victory, victory to Lord Ganesha — whose mother is Parvati and father is Mahadeva.
एक दन्त दयावन्त चार भुजाधारी ।
माथे पर तिलक सोहे मूसे की सवारी ॥
Single-tusked, compassionate, bearing four arms — a tilak shines on his brow, and his mount is the mouse.
पान चढ़े फूल चढ़े और चढ़े मेवा ।
लड्डुअन का भोग लगे सन्त करें सेवा ॥
Betel leaves are offered, flowers are offered, and dry fruits too — a feast of laddus is presented, as devotees offer service.
अंधन को आंख देत कोढ़िन को काया ।
बांझन को पुत्र देत निर्धन को माया ॥
You give sight to the blind and a healthy body to the leper; you grant a son to the childless and wealth to the poor.
सूर श्याम शरण आए सफल कीजे सेवा ।
जय गणेश जय गणेश जय गणेश देवा ॥
Sur Shyam has come to your refuge — make his service fruitful. Victory, victory, victory to Lord Ganesha.
Udvasana
यान्तु देवगणाः सर्वे पूजामादाय पार्थिवीम् ।
इष्टकाम्यार्थसिद्ध्यर्थं पुनरागमनाय च ॥
May all the divine hosts, having accepted this earthen worship, depart now — and return again to fulfil our cherished wishes.
Ganesha Bhajans & Songs
Sing these together as a family to close the celebration
I salute the lotus feet of Ganesha, lord of obstacles — the elephant-faced one served by hosts of spirits, who delights in eating wood-apple and jamun fruit, son of Uma, destroyer of sorrow.
सुखकर्ता दुःखहर्ता वार्ता विघ्नाची ।
नुर्वी पूर्वी प्रेम कृपा जयाची ॥
सर्वांगी सुंदर उटी शेंदुराची ।
कंठी झळके माळ मुक्ताफळांची ॥
Giver of joy, remover of sorrow, and of all news of obstacles — whose love and grace has always been boundless. Beautiful in every limb, anointed with vermillion, a garland of pearls gleaming at his neck.
गणपति बाप्पा मोरया ।
मंगलमूर्ती मोरया ॥
पुढच्या वर्षी लवकर या ।
( Traditionally chanted together at Visarjanam (immersion), but equally joyful as a closing chant here. )
O father Ganapati, O auspicious one — come again quickly next year!
Closing — Vayana Daanam
After the Mangala Harathi and Udvasana, it is customary to offer Vayana Daanam — to a priest, or to an elderly woman (muttaidhuva) or well-wisher. The ritual shape is the same either way, but the intent, items, and spoken exchange differ by recipient, as below. After the pooja is complete, immerse the kalasha water and pasupu Ganapathi, and partake of the tirtha and prasadam.
To a Priest (Brahmana)
Seeking spiritual merit (punya), Vedic blessings, and the formal completion of the vrata.
Tambulam (betel leaves and areca nut)
Pasupu-kumkuma (turmeric and vermillion)
Raw rice, dal, and vegetables (swayampakam)
Fruit and dakshina (offering to the priest)
You say
బ్రాహ్మణ వాయనం, శాస్త్ర వాయనం, పుణ్య వాయనం, ఇస్తినయ్యా, పుచ్చుకోండి.
"I offer this vayanam — a Brahmana vayanam, a vayanam ordained by the shastras, a vayanam of merit. Please accept it."
They respond
పుచ్చుకున్నానయ్యా వాయనం.
"I accept this vayanam." He then chants a Veda ashirvadam, places akshatalu on your head, and offers his formal blessing.
Alternatively — an Elderly Woman or Well-wisher
Seeking Soubhagyam (marital longevity), family well-being, and the mutual blessings of Sumangali status.
Tambulam (betel leaves and areca nut)
Pasupu-kumkuma (turmeric and vermillion)
A blouse piece or saree, glass bangles, a comb and mirror
Soaked chana or guggillu, sweets and fruit
Undrallu or other pooja sweets
1. Prepare the Vayanam plate
On a tray or plate, arrange two betel leaves, one betel nut, a whole turmeric root, pasupu-kumkuma packets, fruits or sweets, and the recipient-specific items above. Cover the offering with a clean cloth or the end of a saree.
2. Perform samprokshana (purification)
Sprinkle a few drops of water, or water mixed with akshatalu, over the Vayanam plate while remembering the deity (Goddess Lakshmi or Parvati).
3. Exchange the Vayana Daanam dialogue
Recite the giver's line from the recipient-specific dialogue above; the recipient responds with theirs, formally declaring the offering given and received.
4. Hand over the plate and receive blessings
Hold the plate with the end of your saree or dupatta, not with bare hands, and hand it to the recipient. Offer namaskaram to seek their blessings, and receive akshatalu in return.