Indian wedding glossary · The functions
What is Ganesh puja?
Also written: Ganesh sthapana, Ganpati puja, गणेश पूजा
Ganesh puja is the prayer to Lord Ganesha, remover of obstacles, that many Hindu families hold before any wedding function so that everything goes smoothly.
- Who keeps it
- Hindu families across India, especially in North India, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
- When
- The first function of the wedding days, usually a day or two before the wedding, before mehndi and haldi.
About Ganesh puja
What should you know about Ganesh puja?
A priest invokes Ganesha at home with the family seated around a small altar, often with a kalash, and the bride or groom and their parents offer flowers, modak or laddoos and prayers. In many families the very first wedding card is placed before Ganesha or sent to a temple before any guest receives one.
Gujarati and Marathi families often call it Ganesh sthapana, when Ganesha is formally installed for the duration of the wedding.
In the order of functions
Where does Ganesh puja come in an Indian wedding?
The first function of the wedding days, usually a day or two before the wedding, before mehndi and haldi.
- Before the weddingFixing the match, the engagement, the date and the card.
- The functionsPujas, haldi, mehndi, sangeet and the family days before the wedding.
- Wedding day ritualsFrom the baraat to the pheras, nikah and anand karaj.
- After the weddingVidaai, the new home, the reception and the first visits.
Planning your own days? The free wedding function order planner puts your functions in a sensible order with dates.
On the card
What do families write on the invitation for Ganesh puja?
Ganesh puja: Thursday, 12 February, 10 am, at our residence. Family only.
Related words
Words that go with Ganesh puja
- Grah shanti
Grah shanti is a puja to the nine planets (navagraha), held by each family before the wedding to seek peace and good fortune for the couple's life together.
- Kalash
A kalash is a metal or clay pot filled with water, topped with mango leaves and a coconut, placed at a wedding puja or in the mandap as a symbol of abundance and blessing.
- Mandvo
Mandvo is the Gujarati word for the wedding canopy, and the mandvo or mandap mahurat is the puja when that canopy is set up and blessed before the wedding.
- Haldi
Haldi is the ceremony where relatives apply a paste of turmeric, gram flour and oil or rose water to the bride and groom, each at their own home, to bless them and make them glow.
- Kankotri
Kankotri is the Gujarati word for the wedding invitation card, named after kanku (kumkum), the red powder families mark it with for luck.
Questions
Ganesh puja, answered
What is Ganesh puja?
Ganesh puja is the prayer to Lord Ganesha, remover of obstacles, that many Hindu families hold before any wedding function so that everything goes smoothly.
Which families celebrate Ganesh puja?
Hindu families across India, especially in North India, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
When does Ganesh puja happen in the order of wedding functions?
The first function of the wedding days, usually a day or two before the wedding, before mehndi and haldi.
What do families write on the invitation for Ganesh puja?
Ganesh puja: Thursday, 12 February, 10 am, at our residence. Family only.
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