Everyone loves Bappa, and we look forward to honouring him each year. Ganesha is an elephant-headed deity who removes barriers and imparts life lessons to us. One of the most well-known and recognizable Hindu deities is Ganesha.

In India, many states including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, etc. commemorate Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi (or Chavithi). This celebration has been held for many years and lasts for nine days. This event is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada, which occurs between August and September.

Regarding the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival

India is a country with many diverse cultures and faiths. Every religion distinguishes itself by its practices, rituals, and distinctive way of celebrating the festivals. One such holiday that every Hindu observes is Ganesh Chaturthi. Lord Ganesh, the primary god of any fresh beginning, is claimed to have been born at this festival. Another name for Lord Ganesha is the “God of Wisdom and Education.” Ganesh Chaturthi is a celebration where people admire the lord for nine or eleven days. They think that Lord Ganesh bestows riches and good health onto them.

We all understand that during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration, we worship the god for nine days during a period known as Ganesh Navratri. The birthplace of this holiday custom is Maharashtra’s Pune. The public has celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi since the reign of Chatrapati Shivaji. Lokmanya Tilak, an Indian independence warrior and social reformer, purchases this first.

Why Do People Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi?

Ganesha statues are erected on elevated platforms in houses or in ornately adorned outside tents at the beginning of the celebration. The Ganesh Upanishad and other Vedic hymns are chanted while people anoint the idols with red sandalwood paste and yellow and red flowers. Additionally, coconut, jaggery, and 21 Modaks—sweet dumplings thought to be Ganesha’s favourite food—are served to him.

The creation of Lord Ganesh is the subject of several legends. We are all aware that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are the parents of Ganesha.

While taking a bath one day, Parvati considers enjoying some solitude. Since she doesn’t have a personal guard at the door, Parvati creates an idol out of the turmeric that has been put on her body. The turmeric mold is then given life by Parvati, who gives it the name Ganesha. Ganesh Chaturthi is a nine-day festival that begins today and honours Ganesha’s birth.

The Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi

It is a ten-day celebration celebrated both publicly and privately, signifying the start of prosperity and joy. In addition, a lot of devotees purchase eco-friendly Ganesha idols for their houses based on the traditions of their families and the degree of devotion of each individual. For one and a half days, three days, five days, seven days, or even ten days, some families celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, making each day unique and spectacular in its own way.

Additionally, it is claimed that the idol of Lord Ganesha should only be maintained within the home for ten days at the most. Although it may seem like a sweet and great notion to retain the idol for a maximum of 10 days, the strength and energy put into the idol throughout that time is exceedingly intolerable for humans.

On Anant Chaturthi, devotees should submerge the idol after 10 days of worshipping and invoking him for his blessings. The Hindu god Ganesha, who has an elephant-like head and was sculpted by Maa Parvati from the clay in her body, is associated with the birth cycle known as Visarjan.

Ganesha with the Head of the Elephant

When Lord Shiva is not at home, Parvati appoints Ganesha to guard the entrance and prevent anybody from entering her home. Ganesha dedicates himself to the entrance and sends everyone who comes to see Goddess Parvati away.

When Lord Shiva came back, he was eager to greet Goddess Parvati, but Ganesha stopped Him. Because Lord Ganesha was so obstinate, he barred Lord Shiva from entering, which resulted in a fight between them. Lord Shiva first makes a nice attempt to persuade young Ganesh, but he keeps rejecting him. Lord Shiva eventually lost his cool and destroyed Lord Ganesha by chopping off his head.

Knowing this, Goddess Parvati hurried to Ganesha and told Lord Shiva of all the requests Ganesha had to comply with. Parvati, the goddess, begs Shiva to revive her beloved son, who has never failed to follow her orders. Lord Shiva, who is aware of the truth, instructs his troops to take the head of the first dead animal they come across in the direction of the North. Lord Shiva gives Ganesha life when his disciples obtain the elephant’s head.

The Customs

Four separate rites are performed during the Bappa celebration. The Hindu festivals of Pran Pratishtha, Shodashopachara, Uttar Puja, and Ganpati Visarjan.

Making idols represents the birth of Ganesh in Pran Pratishtha. The pooja is performed for nine days on these idols in mandaps and households. Devotees give prayers by humming hymns and singing devotional music.

There are 16 distinct forms of prayers offered at Shodashopachara, including the offering of various fruits, flowers, leaves, and Prasadam, particularly Modaks (Undrallu).

The final stage, known as Uttarapuja, occurs just before the Ganesh idol is immersed. On this day, the Ganesha statue is brought to a lake or river nearby to be submerged.

Deity Ganesha is regarded as the lord of wisdom and knowledge since he represents a variety of life teachings. Lord Ganesha is the god of new beginnings and is worshipped before each new event and a new beginning, as we learned from several Puranas. He is thought to overcome the challenges. According to legend, Ganesha is the patron deity of students, and as such, worshipping him helps people succeed in their lives and vocations.

Large processions with drum beats, devotional chanting, and dancing transport the idols to nearby waterways at the festival’s end.