Ganesh Chaturthi is a significant Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed deity who is revered as the remover of obstacles and the god of beginnings, wisdom, and prosperity. The festival typically falls in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, usually between August and September, and lasts for 10 days, culminating in Anant Chaturdashi.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival, celebrated by people of all ages, to worship Lord Ganesh, one of the most beloved gods in Hindu culture. Ganesh – the remover of all obstacles, and the one we worship before all of our poojas. The son of the mighty Shiv, and the graceful Parvati. He is known for his large ears, and tusks. Lord Ganesh is the one who allows us to go on the path without rocks, and thorns.
The day he was born, was quite a historic one. His mother, Parvati, took clay from the Earth, and sculpted a young boy. He looked just as she had imagined. He was flawless, and perfect in every way. He was so seamless, that she decided to give the boy a chance to live. Parvati breathed life into the sculpture, and thus, Ganesh was born.
The festival typically falls in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, usually between August and September, and lasts for 10 days, culminating in Anant Chaturdashi. The story behind Ganesh Chaturthi is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology and centers around the creation and significance of Lord Ganesh. Here’s the most popular version of the story:
The Birth of Ganesh
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesh was created by Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiv under the following circumstances:
- Creation of Ganesh:
- One day, while preparing for her bath, Goddess Parvati wanted someone to guard the entrance to her chambers. Since there was no one around, she decided to create a guardian. She took some sandalwood paste that she used for her bath, molded it into the shape of a boy, and breathed life into it. Thus, Ganesha was born.
- The Guard at the Door:
- Parvati instructed the boy, whom she considered her son, to stand guard at the door and not let anyone enter. Obeying his mother’s command, Ganesh stood vigilantly at the entrance.
- Confrontation with Lord Shiva:
- Meanwhile, Lord Shiv, Parvati’s husband, returned home. When he tried to enter the chambers, he was stopped by Ganesh. Unaware of who Ganesh was and infuriated by the boy’s refusal to let him in, Shiv ordered his followers, the Ganas, to remove the boy from the entrance. However, Ganesh was powerful and defeated them all.
- The Decapitation:
- This enraged Shiv further, and in his divine fury, he beheaded Ganesh with his trident (Trishul), causing his head to fall off. When Parvati discovered what had happened, she was devastated and angry. She demanded that her son be brought back to life.
- The Search for a New Head:
- To pacify Parvati and rectify the situation, Lord Shiv ordered his followers to bring the head of the first living being they encountered facing north. The first creature they found was an elephant, so they brought back the head of an elephant calf.
- Ganesha’s Revival:
- Shiv placed the elephant’s head on Ganesh’s body and revived him. He then declared that Ganesh would be the foremost among gods and that he should be worshipped before any other deity at the start of any new venture or religious ceremony.
- Bestowing of Blessings:
- To honor Ganesh, Shiv also bestowed upon him the title of “Vighnaharta” (Remover of Obstacles) and “Ganapati” (Leader of the Ganas, Shiv’s celestial attendants). He was blessed with wisdom, prosperity, and the role of a protector, making him one of the most revered deities in Hinduism.
Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi
The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi marks the day when Lord Ganesha was brought to life. It is a celebration of his birth and the blessings he bestows upon his devotees. The story of his creation also highlights themes of devotion, protection, and the importance of divine intervention in overcoming obstacles, all of which are celebrated during this festival.
However, Ganesh Chaturthi was not considered a national holiday, until 1893, when Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak shaped this holiday, as we know it today. Before this time, Ganesh Chaturthi was a private celebration. This all changed when Lokamanya Tilak praised this holiday in his newspaper, and strived to create a well – organized event. This is how the holiday became widespread.
Ganesh Chaturthi comes in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. This holy festival lasts for ten enjoyable days. During these ten days, an idol of Lord Ganesh is worshipped, including daily pooja and aarti. Sweets are offered to this food – loving god. On the eleventh day, we take our idol, place it in the river, or lake, and watch as it floats away. We do this because Ganesh has stayed near the devotees during the ten days of Ganesh Chaturthi, and, when we place him in the water, goes back to his home, with his family.
Ganesh Chaturthi is also a time to realize how great Lord Ganesh is. Every part of his body represents a quality that we all should have, to be happy.
- His large head reminds us to think big, and not limit our imagination.
- Ganesh’s giant ears remind us to listen carefully, to everything going on around us.
- His small eyes show us that we should concentrate, and things big, and small.
- Lord Ganesh’s little mouth proves that we should say only what we need to.
- The fact that Ganesh only has one tusk shows that we should keep the good, and throw away the bad.
- His large stomach indicates that we should peacefully digest all of the good, and bad in life.
- Lord Ganesh’s mouse shows that you should keep your desires under control.
- His huge trunk displays that you should be able to get things done efficiently.
- The modak that he receives from his devotees proves that there are rewards of being a good person, and sadhana.
Ganesh Chaturthi, often known as Vinayak Chaturthi or Vinayak chavithi, is a famous festival of India, and it includes similar series of rituals to follow. But still, there are some possible variations according to the locality and cultural beliefs. This festival is celebrated with immense enthusiasm by Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Gujarat in India. Other states like Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Delhi, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh also enjoy Ganesh Chaturthi with great faith and energy.
After deciding the span of hosting Ganesh Chaturthi like three, five, seven, nine, or eleven days, all the devotees perform some of the common rituals of Ganesh Chaturthi like,
Installation of Ganesh idol:
This is a very beautiful procedure, and it creates great excitement in people. Every city gets packed up with various statue markets where different beautifully crafted Ganesh murtis get sold at different price ranges. The host is supposed to get the Ganesh idol and install it in his home or pandal, where alter is decorated and prepared for the next few days. People often go with music, drumbeats, and lots of enthusiasm to welcome Lord Ganesh at their place.
Not directly look at the moon:
It is a Vedic belief associated with the Ganesh Chaturthi. In this, people avoid looking at the moon during evening aarti because that’s considered as a bad indication.
Aarti and prayers:
Lord Ganesh is staying for a couple of days in this festival; thus, it’s important to do proper aarti and puja preferably two times a day till this festival reaches its end. So, people blissfully join together and perform extended aarti and puja rituals to worship Lord Ganesh and seek his blessings. Both times, people serve a variety of delicious prashads to Lord Ganesh and all the devotees who are around that sacred place. This prayer session is an essential part of Ganesh Chaturthi to show faith and dedication to Lord Ganesh.
Cultural events:
Now, this is not a necessary part of this festival. But to add more fun and enjoyment, people organize various spiritual and cultural events as well. The purpose behind such programs is to get people closer and spread positivity and spirituality. In addition, various dance, drama, and music performances happen related to mythological stories to make this festival even more delightful and engaging.
Making and eating modak:
Modak was the most favorite dish of Lord Ganesh. And that’s why it’s an essential element of his Prashad. Making modak at least once in this festival is what everyone loves to do. There is a number of varieties in modaks. And it is a fascinating thing to watch how different Ganpati pandals have different tasty modaks. Serving homemade modaks to everyone who passes by the Ganpati tent is considered as the most common pious activity.
Visarjan:
Visarjan is the last part of Ganesh Chaturthi. In the end, everyone takes their Ganesh idols to the nearby river, lake, or sea and completes the immersion process. It’s an occasion of the greatest fun, energy, and emotions. Lots of drama, music, dance, colors, and emotions can be seen during visarjan. It is hard for devotees to bid farewell to Lord Ganesh, but they perform it with tremendous enthusiasm, positivity, and hope. It involves a large number of people and the farewell of a large number of Ganesh idols.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a widespread festival of Indian culture. Countries like UK, Canada, North America, Singapore, Mauritius, and Malaysia also become part of this fantastic celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi.
So, let us remind ourselves of this holiday, by performing the qualities of Ganesh, and celebrating during those ten days!
