Ganga Puja Vidhi — At the Ghat and at Home with Gangajal

A goddess you can touch

Ganga is one of the few deities whose worship begins by stepping into her. At the river, the puja is a bath, an offering of water back to the water, and a lamp set floating on the current. At home, a sealed bottle of Gangajal stands in for the river. Both are complete. Read more about her on the Maa Ganga page.

When to do it

• Ganga Dussehra (Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami): her descent to earth, the main day.
• Ganga Saptami (Vaishakha Shukla Saptami): her rebirth from the sage Jahnu.
• Kartik Purnima, Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya and other great bathing days.
• Any visit to Haridwar, Rishikesh, Prayagraj, Varanasi or another of her ghats.

What you will need

• At the river: flowers (loose, not in plastic), a small leaf-cup lamp (diya in a dona), a copper or brass lota, a little milk, akshat, and sweets or fruit as prasad.
• At home: a copper or brass vessel of Gangajal, a picture of Ganga Maiya if you have one, a ghee lamp, incense, roli, akshat, white flowers, and sweets.

At the ghat, step by step

1. Bow before entering. Touch the water and then your forehead, asking forgiveness for touching her with your feet.
2. Snan. Take three dips, or at least sprinkle water on your head three times, reciting the Gangam Vari Manohari verse. On Ganga Dussehra, ten dips are traditional, for the ten sins the day is said to remove.
3. Arghya. Standing in the water facing east, fill the lota and pour it back in a steady stream, first to the Sun and then to Ganga, with a few flowers and akshat.
4. Tarpan (optional). Many offer water with sesame seeds for their ancestors at the river.
5. Puja on the bank. Apply a tilak, offer flowers and a little milk to the water, and sweets.
6. Stotram. Recite the Ganga Stotram or the Ganga Chalisa.
7. Deep-daan. In the evening, light the leaf-cup lamp and set it on the water, then join or watch the aarti. Sing Om Jai Gange Mata.
8. Daan. Give something to the needy at the ghat. On Ganga Dussehra, ten items or donations to ten people are traditional.
9. Fill Gangajal to take home, in a clean, sealed vessel.

At home, step by step

1. Bathe, ideally with a few drops of Gangajal added to the water, reciting Gangam Vari Manohari.
2. Place the vessel of Gangajal on a clean cloth on the altar, with her picture if you have one.
3. Sankalp: hold water and a flower, state your name and purpose, and release it.
4. Offer tilak to the vessel, white flowers, akshat and incense. Light the lamp.
5. Recite the Ganga Stotram or Ganga Chalisa.
6. Offer sweets, then sing the aarti.
7. Sprinkle a little Gangajal around the house, and take a few drops yourself as charanamrit.

Offer without harming her

• Use loose flowers and leaf cups. Never put plastic bags, polythene, or foil into the river.
• Don't immerse idols painted with chemical colours, or old pictures with glass frames. Many ghats have collection points for puja waste.
• Don't use soap or shampoo in the river.
• Don't spit, throw litter, or wash clothes at the ghat during the puja.

Frequently asked questions

Can Ganga puja be done without going to the river?

Yes. A vessel of Gangajal on the altar is worshipped in her place, and bathing with a few drops of Gangajal is treated as a Ganga snan.

How many dips should be taken on Ganga Dussehra?

Ten is traditional, matching the ten sins the day is said to wash away. Three is the usual number on other days.

How long can Gangajal be kept at home?

Indefinitely, as long as it is kept sealed in a clean vessel. Many families keep it for years and top it up after each pilgrimage.

Which day is better for Ganga puja, Ganga Dussehra or Ganga Saptami?

Both are her festivals. Ganga Dussehra marks her descent to earth and is the bigger bathing day in most of North India.

Can Gangajal be kept in a plastic bottle?

It is often carried home in plastic, but for keeping it at home a copper, brass, glass or steel vessel is preferred.

Which mantra is said while bathing?

"Gangam vari manohari muraricharanachyutam..." is the common Ganga verse. Some also recite the seven-river verse "Gange cha Yamune chaiva..."

Can women do Ganga puja during menstruation?

Customs differ by family and community. Many traditional families avoid entering the river or touching puja items during those days; follow your family's practice.