How to perform Ganesh Chatuthi Puja?

Ganesh Chaturthi Puja process, Ganesh Chaturthi Puja procedure 

How to worship lord ganesha

It is always good to perform pooja to a clay idol. But we can also use idols made of plaster of paris also.

Items required for Ganesh Chaturthi Puja 

Clay Idol of Ganesha,

The normal pooja items like turmeric, kumkum, rice drenched in turmeric, Sandalwood paste, flowers, and also the following 21 different plant/tree leaves.

The trees namely

Machi patram (patram here means leaf)
Brihati patram
Bilva patram
Durvaraugmam
Dattura patram
Badari patram
Apamarka patram
Tulasi patram
Vishnukranta patram
Dhadi patram
Devadaru patram
Maruvaka patram
Sindhuvara patram
Jaji patram
Gandaki patram
Semi patram
Aswatha patram
Arjuna patram
Arka patram
Chuta patram
Kapita patram

Normally the process begins with praying lord ganesha himself so that the pooja is done without any vighnas. For this purpose a temporary ganesh called turmeric ganesha is prepared by maked a pyramid structure out of turmeric by mixing water and turmeric and keeping kumkuma on top of it.

A normal pooja is done to this turmeric ganapati and then the pooja for the clay idol begins.
It starts again with lighting the diyas.
Then telling the sankalpa(purpose for which we are doing the pooja)
And then inviting the diety to come (called as AAVAHANA).
Then we offer the god a  diamond studded throne (ratna kachita simhasanam), we normally offer Akshintalu(yellow coloured rice)
Then we go ahead with the normal bathing of the idol (called snana)
The ritual is good as all the things that you did when you invite a guest to your house, like inviting, giving water for washing hands and legs as soon as he comes, offering him a seat to sit, then asking him to take bath, give him new clothes, then adore him with all scents like sandalwood paste etc.
As Ganesha is god we have to do all the above with great devotion feeling that the God himself is present in the clay Idol that we are worshiping.
Then we go ahead with the ekavimsati patrani pooja, where we do the pooja of the lord with the leaves of 21 different plants/trees as mentioned above.

Then there is the ritual of offering lunch to guest same here and we call it Nivedyam.

This ends the pooja and the most interesting thing is to hear to the vinayaka story at the end of pooja which helps us to overcome the curse given by parvati  to moon.

Lord ganesh enjoys kudumulu,undrallu(dish made from rice) and laddus.
He enjoys people hitting themselves on head with closed fists called as mottikayalu in telugu.
He also likes people when they sit on their feet and stand called Gujilu in telugu and baskilu.

So offer all the above along with bhakti and you are sure to get the blessings of lord ganesha.

The importance of the festive being giving knowledge to the common man on the natural herbs that are available for them which are available in and around their houses with lots of medicinal value curing common diseases.