Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi is the birthday celebration of Lord Vinayak, the Son of Lord Shiva and the one who wards off all obstacles to anyone, which falls on the fourth phase (Chaturthi) of the moon in the growing period (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu month Badhrapada, which falls in the period August-September every year.

Lord Ganesha is the favourite deity of every one among Hindus. With His figure of Elephant head, which indicates a number of principles and philosophies, admiration for his prowess of saving human beings when they are in trouble, comes from everyone from a School student to a business person.

Although the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi thithi ( fourth day of the moon’s phase in growing period) is a day for doing Prayers to Lord Ganesha, Ganesh Chaturthi  indicates His birthday in Aug-Sep period, which is celebrated in a grand manner.

Lord Ganesha is popularly called with various names such as Vinkayak, Ganapathy, Gajapathi, and a few others, while every Hindu deity is worshipped by reciting 1008 names of the particular deity. Ganesha also has got 1008 names like that.

History

Ganesh Chaturthi celebration’s origin is not found out so far, however,  it has been on records that  Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated as a public function in Pune from  Maratha Emperor Shivaji‘s period(1630-1680)The administers of the Kingdom, called Peshwas, had been initiating action for celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi from 1749 till its end in 1818, at Pune as Ganesha was their family deity After  Peshwas laid down their offices,  Ganesh Chaturthi was not a state held function, but private family celebrations had been observed  till it was  revived in a grand manner by Indian freedom fighter Lokmanya Bala Gangadhar Tilak.

It was in 1893, that Lokmanya Tilak made this domestic function into a large statewide festival and made Ganesh Chaturthi as a popular national festival, with an intention of removing the gaps between people out of caste and communal differences. Tilak was the first person to introduce large public images of Ganesh in pavilions and also brought in the practice of leaving the Ganesha Idols used for prayers and processions, in rivers, lakes or sea, on the tenth day after Ganesh Chaturthi.

Lord Shiva and Parvati Devi had two children, one of them being Lord Ganesha. Legends and mythology conveyed in the Northern and the Southern States of India, tell different versions about Ganesha’s birth order in the family. Some convey that he was the elder, while few others believe that his brother Karthik, also known as Skanda, was the elder. However, according to Shiva Purana, Ganesha was created by Parvati Devi out of the smearing of her body, later when out of a mistaken identity his head was severed by his own father Lord Shiva, an Elephant’s head was fixed over his trunk to get his image.

Every town in India has at least a few temples for Ganesha. Some places, Ganesha temples are famous and popular, such as Siddhi Vinayak Maha Ganapati temple in Maharashtra, Pilliarpatti Karpaka Vinayak Temple in Tamilnadu, etc.

The Festival

Ganesh Chaturthi pujas are conducted in temples in the traditional manner. However, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in every Hindu home in India and abroad, by installing specially made Idols or Icons, for the celebrations. These Ganesh idols are made out of green clay and are kept for prayers in that form only. This procedure enables devotees to submerge the Idol in water after the 10 days celebration and worship, which is a convention. In villages, these Ganeshji Idols are dumped in the well, while in places where they have a river or sea side, the Idol is taken in a procession to submerge it in a larger water front.

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations begin with the installation of Ganesh idols in colorfully decorated wooden stands or mandaps at homes. These mandaps or stands are adorned by miniature plantain trees, which are cut out and kept ready for the function. Besides this, flower decorations, mango leaves woven as a festoon, andsimilar garlands prepared with special grass and bud varieties adorning Ganesha’s idol, He  is offered with sweet dumplings and fruits, during prayers.

The ritual involves chanting of Ganesh Namas and offering salutations that include Thoppukkaranam, a kind of yogic salutation the devotee holding both the ears and sitting and standing, with which practice Lord Ganesha is said to be pleased.

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