Dear Editor,
The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on a large scale in several parts of India. The history of the Sarvajanik Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra is centuries old. It was started by the late Lokmanya Tilak.
According to Hindus, Ganesha is the remover of obstacles and all the problems in one’s life, as well as the creator of happiness in the life of people. People in India worship Ganesha before starting any new work. He is the eldest son of Shiva and Parvati and is one of the five major Hindu deities. With his pot belly and elephant head, he is the god who removes all obstacles in the paths of those struggling to achieve both spiritual and worldly success. Almost every Hindu home has an image of Lord Ganesha over the doorway, and he is worshipped at the beginning of every important undertaking, whether it is the building of a new house, the beginning of a marriage, or the opening of a new accounts book.
As per belief, Ganesha is also known as Vighnaharta or the one who removes all obstacles. He holds great significance in Hinduism where almost all rituals begin with his worship. Celebrations for this festival begin months in advance with the preparation of idols of Lord Ganesha.
On the 10th and last day of the festival, the idol is immersed in a nearby river or pond with full devotion, and this ceremony is called ‘Ganesh Visarjan’. People chant “Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar ya”, which means “Goodbye Lord Ganesha, please come back next year.”
Jubel D’Cruz