Ganesh Festival 2009
Ganesh Festival, popularly known as Ganesh Chaturthi, or Vinayaka Chaturti, is the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu God of wisdom and auspiciousness. The elephant-faced Hindu god Ganesh is one of the most popular deities in Hinduism and is today worshipped around the world. Lord Ganesha is slowly becoming the face of Hindu religion. In 2009, the date of Ganesh Festival is August 23. The Ganesha Festival ends with the immersion (Visarjan) of the idol on Ananta Chaturdasi day on September 3.
Ganesh Festival is observed on the fourth day of the Shukla Paksha (Waxing Phase of moon) in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August - September). During Ganesh festival, an idol of Lord Ganesha is brought home. Special prayers are performed in all Hindu homes and hymns and songs are sung in praise of Lord Ganesha
Origin of Ganesh Chaturthi Festival
Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi, the birthday of Lord Ganesha, is one of the most popular Hindu festivals celebrated throughout India and by Hindu around the world. Ganesh Utsav falls on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the month Bhadrapada (August-September). The origin of Ganesh Chaturthi also explains why Ganesha has an elephant head.
| According to Hindu Mythology, once Lord Shiva was out hunting with his ‘Ganas’ or attendants. Parvati, Shiva’s consort, was alone and desired to take a bath. But since there were no attendants to guard the entrance of the house, Parvati created a handsome young Ganesha from mud and asked him not to let anyone inside. Soon, Lord Shiva returned and found an arrogant guard stopping him from entering his house. In a fit of fury, Lord Shiva cut off Ganesha’s head. When Parvati came to know about the fate of Ganesha,she was overwhelmed with grief |
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and Lord Shiva soon realized the grave mistake had committed in anger.
He asked one of his Ganas to bring the head of the first animal he saw sleeping with its head towards north. The Gana returned with an elephant’s head and Shiva placed it on Ganesha’s body and restored his life. All these extraordinary events of Parvati creating Ganesha from mud and Lord Shiva chopping Ganesha’s head and replacing it with an elephant’s head took place on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the month Bhadrapada (August-September).
The large-scale Ganesh festival of today was revived by Lokmanya Tilak, freedom fighter, in the last decade of 19th century in Pune to spread the message of freedom struggle and to defy the British who had banned public assemblies. Large-scale Ganesh Festival celebrations take place in Maharashtra with millions of people visiting the various community Ganesh Pandals. Thousands of Ganesh statues are installed in various public places in India and in Hindu Temples and community centers around the world during Ganesh Festival. Millions of small Ganesh idols are installed in Hindu homes in India. After the festival these statues are immersed in the sea (Ganesh Visarjan ceremony). |
