Introduction

Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10 day Hindu festival. It held publicly for the first time in Mumbai in the year 1885. People celebrate this festival in the honor of elephant-headed Lord Ganesha. He is the younger son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Lord Ganesha is popular among his devotees with hundreds of names like Ganpati, Gajanana, Gadadhara, and many more.

Lord Ganesha or Sri Ganesh is believed to be the God of Wisdom. The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi takes place to worship him on his birth anniversary. Ganesh Chaturthi is also popular with the name Ganpati puja.

In Indian mythology, Sri Ganesh is called the Lord of arts and sciences. People worship him and take his name before starting any work and religious ceremonies. The faith of people in Ganesha’s blessings clears all the hindrances from the path of success.

History of Prohibition on Moon Sighting

One most significant factor about Ganesh Chaturthi is people cannot look at the moon. A person who sees the moon takes the curse of the accusation of theft. This tale comes from the ancient time when Lord Krishna was accused of stealing the jewel. Sage Narada mentioned that Lord Krishna must have seen the moon. This curse has a similar value in the present era.

Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi is also popular as Vinayaka Chaturthi. It is celebrated for the devotion of Lord Ganesha who is the God of wisdom, fortune, and harmony. In India, typically the festival takes celebration in the month of August or September every year. The date of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day of the waxing moon time (Shukla Chaturthi). People celebrate and worship for 10 days and on the 11th day, the largest sight takes place which is called Anant Chaturdashi.

Ancestors from Maharashtra mentioned that the gala of Ganesh Chaturthi was first scrutinized in Pune in the time of Shivaji. He is the founder of the Maratha Empire. Later, the festival became universally stimulated by Indian freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak.

The history behind the Celebration

Lord Ganesha is popular with so many names like Ekdanta, Vinayaka, Heramba, Omkara, and Vighnaharta.

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the farthest and wide celebrated festivals in India. It is because Sri Ganesha is one of the most prominent divine deities people worship. Sri Ganesh is the fortune giver and on this day people worship him with the belief that he will offer affluence to them. According to the tales, Ganesha is the God of traveling and wealth. His devotion brings both prosperity and health.  

Celebration and Rituals

Ganesh Chaturthi commemorates the birthday of Sri Ganesh. The preparations for this festival begin almost a month ago. Sculptors handcraft the beautiful worship idols of Lord Ganpati and people take them home for installing on the first day of Ganpati Puja. People from numerous families take idols home singing and dancing devotional songs.

This process is called Ganpati Sthapana. It is a 16step ritual which names Shodashopachara Puja. People perform this route to invoke the power of a divine entity. Meanwhile, this ritual, families, and friends celebrate by offering sweets, flowers, and coconut in front of the statue of Ganesha. It is an auspicious time of the day when people believe Lord Ganesha to have been born.

Rituals of Visarjan

People worship idols of Lord Ganesha every day with a plate decorated with lamp, flowers, and sweets. This tradition continues for10 days.

On the eleventh day (Anant Chaturdashi) people immerse the statues in the water. It is popular with the name of “GanpatiVisarjan”. They do loud cry in a group saying “Ganapati Bappa Morya. PurchyaVarshi Laukar Ya” which means O! Father Ganesh! Come again early next year.

Why Lord Ganesha is immersed In Water?

You may perhaps wonder why the immersion of statues takes place on the concluding day of the festival.

In accordance with Sanskrit, Anant refers to eternal energy. The celebration is dedicated to Lord Vishnu who is the preserver of life.

Every year more than a thousand of worship idols and statues of Sri Ganesh are immersed in water after Ganesh Chaturthi. The statues are visible form of God for worshipping. However, God himself adds the law of change in nature. Eventually, everything that has a visible form including bodies and statues travels to the final lane of nature and become formless. Nevertheless, energy always remains.

After a 10 day long celebration the statues of LordGanesha are engrossed in the ocean as a reminder of this belief. He keeps an eye on the universe in his formless state and bequeaths blessings &goodness on people.