Please share how you observe the vrat (fast) and guidelines for doing the puja, if you happen to follow/observe this special spiritual day. We've read that some devotees keep this vrat for 21 Sankatahara Chaturti days.
Usually this is a very auspicious day that falls on the fourth day after the full moon ie krishna paksh. The name Sankathara means destroying difficulties or worries. If it falls on a tuesday it is called as Angaraki and is considered to be very very auspicious. Here I have seen somepeople observing full day fast( without eating anything)...some observe with fruits and milk(items like sabudana khichdi or upvas food )....you can eat only after sighting the moon in the evening and performing the pooja. Pooja can be performed in the evening to the idol of Ganapathi using Dhruva (arugampil) and reciting sankatahara ganesha sthothram... fruits can be offered as Naivedhyam. But I have seen people in south offer Kozhukattis or appams as naivedhyam. It is said that 3 is very auspicious to Ganesha so people perform it either for 3,12 or 21 sankatahara chathurthis. But you can continue to do it for your life time also. It is believed that even if you do it once in your life time you will directly attain the Ganesha paadam or Ganeshalok.
Hope I have given the necessary information on this.
thanq for sharing !-suguna murugesan
Thanks Sowmya for sharing the information with us.
Mahalakshmi
Thank u sowmi...i was waiting eagerly for someone who knew about this viratham....
Thank you, Sowmya.
thank u vijaya for a nice information