Sunil Kumar D. and Madhumati Tyagi
Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that pays tribute to Lord Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, and celebrates the day as his birthday. The festival is celebrated in the Bhadra month as per the Sanatana calendar, which generally falls in mid-August to September.
Lord Ganesha is known as the God of wealth, sciences, knowledge, wisdom and prosperity, and that is why most Hindus worship him and seek his blessings before starting any important work. It is believed that Lord Ganesh during his visit to the earth, he brings order in this universe and people worship him before embarking on a new endeavor, intellectual journey, or business enterprise.
Therefore, it is very common to see images or small statues of Him in these places. He is one of the most revered God in Sanatana Dharma. Lord Ganesha is having the head of an elephant and is the son of Shiva (the God of Transformation) and Ma Parvati.
Sanatanis celebrate this festival with great devotion and joy throughout the world. In India, it is majorly celebrated in states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. Lord Ganesha is the younger brother of Lord Kartikeya, the god of war. He is also called Skanda and Murugan. He is known by 108 different names such as , and Sankatmochaka among others.
What is the history of Ganesha’s birth?
According to the first story, Ma Parvati created Lord Ganesha out of dirt from her body to guard her in the absence of Shiva. She gave him the task of guarding her bathroom door while she was taking a bath. In the meantime, Shiva returned home and Ganesha, who did not know who Shiva was. So, he stopped him from entering the house. This angered Shiva and He severed Ganesha’s head after a tiff between the two. When Parvati came to know about this: She asked Lord Shiva, to get Ganesha back to life. Lord Shiva sent some Devas to search for a child’s head facing north but they could only find an elephant’s head. Lord Shiva fixed the elephant’s head on the child’s body and that is how Lord Ganesha was born.
The other popular story is that the Devas requested Shiva and Parvati to create Lord Ganesha so that he can be a Vighnakarta (creator of obstacles) for Rakshasas (demons), thus being a Vighnaharta (averter of obstacles) and helping Devas.
How is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated?
Every year, his birth is celebrated with a 10-day festival, during which four main rituals, namely Prana Pratishta, Shodashopachara, Uttarpuja, and Ganpati Visarjan are performed.
The excitement and preparations for Ganesh Chaturthi start few weeks before the festival actually begins. Artisans start preparing clay idols of Lord Ganesha in different poses and sizes.
The Ganesha idols are brought in and installed in a beautifully decorated ‘Mandapam’ at homes, and ‘Pandals’ in different localities/neighborhoods. The idols of Lord Ganesha are also decorated with flowers, garlands, and Jewelries. A ritual called ‘Pranapratishhtha’ is observed where a priest chants mantra to invoke life in the deity. Prayers are then offered to Ganesha’s idol in 16 different ways. This ritual is called Shodashopachara.
During each day of the celebration, Puja, Archana, and Prasadam, the food blessed by the deity especially Modaks and Ladoos are distributed throughout the day to all the devotees. Many devotees observe Nirjal (Waterless) Fasting to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha and meditate Mantras.
People celebrate by singing religious songs, dancing to drum beats and by lighting up fireworks. Children participate in Ganesh painting, Ganesha Quizzes and Ganesh Bhajan singing competitions– all of which add to the festive mood.
On the last day of the festival, Uttarpuja, a farewell ritual is performed for Lord Ganesha with deep respect. After this ritual, Lord Ganesh Ji is carried in a public procession with singing Kirtan (devotional singing) and shouting slogans such as: Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya! to a nearby body of water in which He is immersed. This custom is known as Ganpati Visarjan, and it symbolizes his return to Mount Kailash, a peak in the Himalayas where Shiva and Parvati are said to reside.
Although Ganesha Chaturthi has been observed since ancient times, the festival started as a grand public event in the 1600s by Indian king, Shivaji Bhosale I. The festival is said to have been revitalized later in the 19th century as a symbol of India’s independence movement, by freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak. In 1892, large number of devotees gathered in the cities of Pune and Mumbai to celebrate the festival despite the fact that such large gatherings were not allowed by the British. The 10-day festival was celebrated with a patriotic gusto fueled by a deep devotion and love for Ganesha. To this day, this festival continues to be celebrated with grand pomp and fervor.
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