Namaste,

I have a couple of questions and I welcome learned members' input on these.

1. When you belong to a certain sampradaya, and are in the habit of doing daily aradhana to an Ishta-devata, and there comes festivals/ceremonies attached to other devatas (within and outside of your sampradaya), how do you celebrate the occasion? Do you do your daily aradhana as usual and then also do the other devata worship?

For example, 2 occasions I encounter the above situation: While celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi and while celebrating Navaratri. Since these festivals involve considerable amount of effort, by the time I am done with worshiping these devatas, I have no energy or mood left to continue my daily aradhana. In that case, should I discontinue my daily aradhana for that day (or 9 days in case of Navaratri) and do the other devata worship? Is this acceptable?

2. I have, in my puja, predominantly Vaishnava deities. I offer naivedya (offering of food) to them in a specific order, which, as much as I know is correct. Nevertheless, I also have Sri Hanuman ji, Sri Chakrathazhwar, and Sri Ramanujar pictures. When do I offer them naivedya? Before the gods or after the gods? (Somewhere I read a guruji as Sri Ramanujar is to be considered first for offering naivedya, but I am not sure about this...).

I hope someone enlightens me.

Thanks,

Viraja