How To Thank Ganesha

[Vinidra]

Hey, y'all! I have a question I would like to run by everyone and see what y'all think.

Ganesha has recently done something for me that is probably going to change my life. I won't bore you with the details, but it's a pretty big deal for me.

I am certain it's Ganesha's work because this is something I've been trying to make happen for quite some time now, and it was nothing but obstacle after obstacle until I prayed to Ganesha to help me make some changes in my life. Up until then, I had never really given him the consideration he deserves, so imagine my surprise when he was so quick to help me!

Anyway, my question is, what can I do to thank him for his help? And to maybe make up for the offense of not giving him his due up until this point? Is there anything in particular he really likes? I know he supposedly enjoys sweets. I'm not much of a cook, but I'll give it a shot for him if I need to.

Thanks in advance for your help, and I hope everyone is doing well.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Go to the place where you may have a Ganesha idol in house house (or in a temple) and say "Thank you Lord, Vighneshwara, my friend Ganesha, for helping me." Offer him laddoos, you know he loves them and so does his mount, Mushakasur. The laddoos can be made of anything, cereals, rice, milk solids. You can offer him ice-cream laddoos, now that it is summer.
I do not know why people think approaching Gods and Goddesses is difficult.

 

[sayak83]

Hey, y'all! I have a question I would like to run by everyone and see what y'all think.

Ganesha has recently done something for me that is probably going to change my life. I won't bore you with the details, but it's a pretty big deal for me.

I am certain it's Ganesha's work because this is something I've been trying to make happen for quite some time now, and it was nothing but obstacle after obstacle until I prayed to Ganesha to help me make some changes in my life. Up until then, I had never really given him the consideration he deserves, so imagine my surprise when he was so quick to help me!

Anyway, my question is, what can I do to thank him for his help? And to maybe make up for the offense of not giving him his due up until this point? Is there anything in particular he really likes? I know he supposedly enjoys sweets. I'm not much of a cook, but I'll give it a shot for him if I need to.

Thanks in advance for your help, and I hope everyone is doing well.

Sweets. Lots of sweets of any which kind (but eggless).

 

[Vinidra]

Thank you both for your suggestions. I'm out of town at the moment, but as soon as I get back home, I'm doing a special Ganesha puja and offering sweets and such to him.

 

[stvdv]

Anyway, my question is, what can I do to thank him for his help?

IF someone has obstacles and needs your help THEN thank Ganesha for giving you this opportunity

 

[stvdv]

Ganesha has recently done something for me that is probably going to change my life. I won't bore you with the details, but it's a pretty big deal for me.

Thank you for sharing

It reminds me what He did for me in 2000
I really needed to be reminded of this

Thanks Ganesha for reminding me, and Glory to Thee

 

[Vinidra]

IF someone has obstacles and needs your help THEN thank Ganesha for giving you this opportunity

Absolutely!

Thank you for sharing

It reminds me what He did for me in 2000
I really needed to be reminded of this

Thanks Ganesha for reminding me, and Glory to Thee

I'm glad to hear that Ganesha helped you in the past, too. Glory to Lord Ganesha!

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm late to the party, but I make garlands for Him at temple on special occasions.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Thank you both for your suggestions. I'm out of town at the moment, but as soon as I get back home, I'm doing a special Ganesha puja and offering sweets and such to him.

When you are performing a puja, can you describe specifically what you do? Right now I'm imagining there being a large statue of Ganesha there and in front of him you place a plate full of sweets.

And what do you do with these sweets? Do you let them sit there? and for how long? It would feel wrong for me to eat them (although tempting) so at a certain point I would have to throw them away.

And do you chant anything? Meditate before it for a few minutes? What else is done?

 

[Aupmanyav]

When you are performing a puja, can you describe specifically what you do? Right now I'm imagining there being a large statue of Ganesha there and in front of him you place a plate full of sweets.

And what do you do with these sweets? Do you let them sit there? and for how long? It would feel wrong for me to eat them (although tempting) so at a certain point I would have to throw them away.

And do you chant anything? Meditate before it for a few minutes? What else is done?

Large, How much large? More than 2 feet is generally not preferred for home. It depends on the space available for the niche and the cost of the statue. See Puja details here: Puja (Hinduism) - Wikipedia

Different people will spend different time in Puja. It could be five minutes or it could be two hours. Depends on what is the age of the person and how much time the person would like to spend at Puja. Some old people spend long time at Puja as they have more free time and are retired. After the puja is complete, the offerings are yours after being blessed by the deity.

Meditation, disentanglement from worldly worries is he first step of puja. Yes, there are chants, short and long, that people will do according to their convenience. Puja starts with thanks to Mother Earth and the supposed area protector (Kshetrapala). Then the parts of body are symbolically cleansed by sprinkling of water. Then the mind is cleansed of worldly thoughts. Lord Ganesha is the first God to be invoked in Hinduism. He is supposed to enable a successful puja to whichever Gods or / and Goddesses we are invoking, individually or collectively (that is many Gods and Goddesses can be invoked at the same time*).

* Edit: Like inviting a few friends to a party.
We had our house painted recently. A few things need to be adjusted properly.

 

[Vinayaka]

One of the funny ironies for doing a Ganesha puja is that, as it is for all pujas, you beseech Ganesha to start the puja. So you're asking Him to bless His own puja.