Question: I would like to know in which way to invoke Ganesha.

Sri Chinmoy: First of all, if you have a picture of Ganesha, you should place it in your room, in one of the southern corners or on the south wall. Facing the south, you should pray to Ganesha. In India, we invoke this god thus: “AUM. Dakshine Ganeshaya namah.” Now AUM you understand from all that we have said about it. Dakshine Ganeshaya namah means, “I bow to Ganesha who abides in the south.” This way you can start.

Now if you don’t care for the southern part of the room, no harm. You can repeat the name Ganesha most soulfully one hundred and eight times. Either you take your rosary beads and with them say “Ganesha, Ganesha, Ganesha,” etc. or on your finger tips you count “Ganesha” one hundred and eight times. In India, we are always advised to repeat the names of the spiritual Masters or deities or cosmic gods one hundred and eight times at least, and this, three times a day. Early in the morning is the best time and four o’clock is the hour of God. We call it the Brahma Muhurta. At that time, the cosmic gods start functioning; that is, the actual day dawns. So the best time for meditation is four o’clock in the early morning. But in the West, it is simply impossible. To most Westerners, we say that the moment they get up is the hour of God! If it is five o’clock, if it is seven o’clock, even if it is ten o’clock, that is the hour of God. That will be your first time of day. Then at noon, by which time everybody is up, you can meditate again. Then in the evening, at the twilight hour, it is again the best time for repeating the name of Ganesha and meditating. So you can do this.