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Vinayaka Chavithi at Home: A Simple Puja Checklist
Vinayaka Chavithi in Telugu homes is warm and uncomplicated. This checklist covers what to arrange in advance so the morning itself stays calm.
Arrange the idol early
Book the clay idol two to four weeks ahead and collect it a day or two before Chavithi. Keep it in a dry spot away from rain and damp walls, resting on a wooden plank rather than directly on the floor.
Puja samagri
Turmeric, kumkum, akshata, sandal paste, agarbatti, camphor, a ghee lamp with wicks, flowers, a coconut, betel leaves and nuts, fruit, jaggery, and the undrallu and kudumulu prepared at home.
Twenty-one patri leaves are traditional. If a few varieties are unavailable in the city, most families use whichever leaves they can source respectfully — the intention matters more than the count.
Order of the rituals
Clean the space and set the mandap, light the lamp, perform ganapati pranayama and sankalpam, install the idol with pratishtha, offer shodashopachara puja, read or listen to the Vinayaka Vratha Katha, and finish with the aarti and mantra pushpam.
Plan the immersion day
Decide before Chavithi whether you will immerse on the same day, on the third day or after nine days. Arrange the drum or immersion point in advance so the visarjan is not rushed.
Do not look at the moon on Chavithi night — and if you happen to, the traditional remedy is to listen to the Syamantaka Mani story.
Order a handmade clay Ganesha from our Hyderabad workshop