Ganesh Chaturthi: History, Importance and Rituals of Vinayaka Chavithi

Ganpati Bappa Morya! Ganesh Chaturthi is quickly approaching. Everyone is anticipating the festivities since it is said that on this day, Lord Ganesha descended from Kailash Parvat to bestow pleasure, wealth, and health onto devotees. Therefore, the only holiday fosters a positive atmosphere that benefits friends, family, and everyone engaged in the Ganesha pooja. One can find many Ganesh Chaturthi tweets and postings about various trending topics, Ganesh idol and delicacies on Facebook & Twitter.

What about this holiday causes it to be the most happening festival every year among Hindus in India?

Let's explore.

Ganesh Chaturthi importance

On Lord Ganesha's birthday day, Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chavithi, is observed in his honour. Every auspicious event is opened by invoking Lord Ganesha's blessings, known as Shubh Aarambh since he is considered to bring luck, money, and success. Around the world, people celebrate this auspicious holiday in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (mid-August to mid-September). Still, the most prominent events take place in Maharashtra.

As everyone might be eager to know, when is Ganesh Chaturthi? Let us notify you that celebrations will commence on Wednesday, 31st August 2022. The festival's final day, Anant Chaturdashi is observed after 10 to 12 days of festivities. Anant Chaturdashi will be celebrated on 9th September this year.

It is thought that those who worship Ganesha can achieve their goals and aspirations. Therefore, the primary meaning of Ganesh Chaturthi is that those who worship him are purified of their sins and are guided into a life of enlightenment and understanding.

People have celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi in an environmentally responsible manner throughout the years as environmental consciousness has grown. This involves purchasing an eco friendly Ganpati idol made of natural clay or Multani mitti and adorning the pandals solely with flowers and raw materials. 

Months before the celebration, the talented artisans start their work. The sizes of the many creative clay sculptures of Lord Ganesha in various stances range from 3/4th inch to almost 70 feet.

The Festival's Background History

The frequently recounted tale that our parents and grandparents have been telling dates back to the reign ofLord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The epic from the Shiva Purana is likely the most well-known. Parvati, the goddess, had begun getting ready for a bath. Since she didn't want to be interrupted while taking a bath and because Nandi wasn't at Kailash to stand to watch at the door. She removed the sandalwood paste (used for bathing) from her body. Then, she created a statue of a boy, giving him life. So Goddess Parvati gave him the directive to stand watch at the entrance and not let anybody in until she had finished her bath. 

Lord Shiva wanted to see Goddess Parvati as he was open-eyed from his state of meditation, but a strange lad stopped him. Lord Shiva attempted to reason with the kid by implying that he was Goddess Parvati's husband. Still, the boy was unconvinced and steadfast in his desire to avoid Lord Shiva. The boy's actions shocked Lord Shiva. The usually placid Shiva decided he would have to battle the kid since he sensed this was no ordinary youngster. Lord Shiva chopped the boy's head off with his Trishul in his holy rage, killing him instantaneously.

When Goddess Parvati learned of this, she became so furious that she decided to wipe out the entire universe. Several fierce multi-armed forms, known as the yoginis, emerged from her body in response to her call and declared annihilation. Being the creator, Lord Brahma understandably had his concerns. He pleaded with her to change her mind about her radical notion. Finally, she agreed on the condition that the kid is revived and that he be permanently worshipped in prayer before all the other gods.

By this time, Lord Shiva had calmed down and accepted Goddess Parvati's demands. He dispatched his followers with the directive to retrieve the head of the first animal lying with its head turned toward the north. They quickly returned with the elephant's head, which Lord Brahma put on the boy's body. The elephant's name was Gajasura. He was given a new life, the title of Gajanana, which means "chief of all ganas" (classes of creatures), and the distinction of being the first among the gods in worship.

The earliest Ganpati festival was celebrated during the reign of the legendary Maratha king Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Since Lord Ganesha was the Peshwas' local god, they continued to celebrate the Ganesh festival. However, during the reign of British colonial control, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, known as Lokmanya Tilak, an accomplished freedom fighter, patriot, and social reformer, brought the event back to life. Since Tilak was a visionary, he chose to close the gaps after observing that the celebration was more popular among the elite classes of society. To unite all of the country's citizens, he strove to eliminate the divisions between Brahmins and Non-Brahmins, realising the significance of ganesh chaturthi to the nation.

He established the custom of Ganesh visarjan on the tenth day. He was the first to install big public pictures of Lord Ganesha in pavilions. By making the Ganpati festival open to the public, he created a space where everyone, regardless of caste, creed, or gender, could interact and bond to form the cornerstone of the independence movement.

Hindus living outside India can also be found in the United Kingdom, United States, Malaysia, Canada, Singapore, and Mauritius celebrating this auspicious Ganesh festival.

Celebrations

On the first day of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, specially decorated temporary buildings called Mandapas or Pandals are erected. The lovely sculptures are set on them in homes, communities, and temples. The temple priest, dressed in a crimson silk dhoti, performs the "Pran Pratishtha" procedures, which involve chanting mantras to infuse the vitality of the Lord into the statue. The Shhodashopachara, which consists of 16 different Ganesh puja offerings, follows this. The figure is covered in red and sandal paste, and several offerings, including modaks, durva grass blades, coconut, and red flowers, are made. The Rig Veda, the Ganapati Atharvashirsa, the Upanishad, and the Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are recited during the event.

Lord Ganesha is worshipped for ten days. On the eleventh day, the Ganpati murti is carried through the streets in a procession with singing and dancing before submerging in a river or the sea known as Ganesh Visarjan. This ritual represents the Lord's departure as he makes his way to Kailash while carrying the woes of all men with him. Everyone shouts, "Ganapathi Bappa Morya, Vache Samvatsaram Malli Ravali" (O father Ganesha, come again early next year). Finally, people transport the idol to the river to be submerged after making the last offering of coconuts, flowers, and camphor.

Delicacies

The festival's most well-known delicacy is modak. A modak is a rice or wheat flour-based dumpling filled with fresh or dried grated coconut, jaggery, dry fruits, and several other seasonings. Either steamed or fried as a religious offering or sacred food. As modakam/ Kudumulu in Telugu, Sihi kadubu in Kannada, or kozhukatta in Malayalam, and Kozhukkattai in Tamil Nadu, modak is known by several names in different regions of the nation.

The karanji, which resembles the modak in flavour and composition but has a semicircular form, is another well-known sweet delicacy.

However, Ganesh Chaturthi is the most significant holiday in Maharashtra, despite the event being observed with great grandeur across the nation.

Read More: Navratri significance of 9 days