Ravi Rohmetra
Lord Vinayaka, Ganesh ji, Ganpati ji, Vinayaka is the darling of the masses. Ganesh Chaturthi brings people of all religion, caste and creed together.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great devotion all over India. People bring home murtis (Idols) of Lord Ganesha and celebrate the festival by worshiping the Lord in a special way for a day and a half, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days or 11 days depending on the family tradition and commitment of each individual.
On the last day of worship the idol is taken out in a colourful and musical procession to be immersed traditionally at a beach.
This is one of the most popular festivals in the Country. There are several reasons for this. Ganpati is after all a popular God. His blessings are invoked at most religious ceremonies as He is the one who can remove all obstacles to success. He is the giver of fortune and can help to avoid natural calamities.
Ganpati, the god of wisdom and the benevolent deity of the dynasty of Peshwas who ruled Maharashtra inculcating a special culture in the state. Ganpati is the herald of auspicious beginnings and is the beloved deity of all.
Religion in India is still a living force and Indians appreciate and cultivate the festival spirit even in this age of industrialization and political upheavals. Ganesh Festivals bring people together and make the nation move forward and grow. Ganesh Festival is very popular in our country.
The birth of Lord Ganesh is on the 4th day of the bright half of Bhadrapad Shukla (August/September). This festival is celebrated for 10 days from Ganesh Chaturthi – birth-date-to Anant Chaturdashi – the final 10th day of his immersion. Everyone loves this deity with his curving trunk, potbelly and big flat ears. He is the benevolent protector of the innocent, yet the ruthless destroyer of evil. His mount is a rat.
In several states of India, but especially in Maharashtra clay idols of Ganesh in varying sizes are made and sold. The idols are purchased and brought home the day previous to Ganesh Chaturthi, which is the day of Hartalik when women keep fast and invoke the blessings of goddess Parvati, who is Ganesh’s mother.
In streets and commercial establishments community worship is offered to a life-size or even a bigger image, installed on an erected platform. Lord Ganesh is very fond of sweets and hence kheer, panchamrit, fruits and sweets and specially modaks are placed before him as “Naivedya” or “Bhog”. After the ritual worship this “Bhog” is distributed as “Prasad”.
On the day of immersion, which is either on 3rd, 5th, 7th or 10th day after performing the “Puja”, the idol is taken out in a procession by people who dance and sing. On the 10th day – the Anant Chaturdashi day, the sea fronts are packed with surging mass of humanity as the idols of Ganesh are carried towards their watery rest among shouts of “Ganapati Bappa Moriya, Pudhachya varshi lavkar ya” (Return early next year, Oh Victorious Lord Ganesh).
Many interesting legends about the birth and the greatness of Lord Ganesh are found in old ancient religious texts. He is considered to be the god of wisdom, prudence and prosperity. The worship of this god is coming down to us right from the Vedic times. Every religious ceremony is completed even today with invoking his blessings at the very beginning with the solemn recitation of “Om Ganeshaya Namaha” (I bow to Thee Lord Ganesh). It is believed that Lord Ganesh put down on paper the shlokas of our great epic Mahabharat as Maharshi Ved Vyas dictated them to him. Sant Gyaneshwar’s Gyaneshwari starts with praise of Lord Ganesh.
Since the days of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj the founder of the Maratha Empire this Ganesh Festival was celebrated on a grand scale in Pune and later on the Peshwas themselves participated in this festival, as Ganesh was their family deity. Today this festival is the most colourful and happy event in the religious, social and cultural life of India specially that of Pune and Mumbai. – See more at:
Traditional Ganesha stories tell that Lord Ganesha son of goddess Parvati consort of Shiva Parvati created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. Lord Shiva, who had gone out, returned and as Ganesha didn’t know him, didn’t allow him to enter. Lord Shiva became enraged by this and asked his follower Ganas to teach the child some manners, Ganesha who was very powerful, being born of Parvati, the embodiment of Shakti, defeated Shiva’s followers and declared that nobody was allowed to enter while his mother was bathing. The sage of heavens, Narada along with the Saptarishis sensed the growing turmoil and went to appease the boy with no results. Angered, the King of Gods, Indra attacked the boy with his entire heavenly army but even they didn’t stand a chance. By then, this issued had become a matter of pride of Parvati and Shiva. Angry Shiva severed the head of the child. Parvati seeing this became enraged. Seeing Parvati in anger Shiva promised that her son will be alive again. The devas searched for the head of dead person facing North, but they found only the head of a dead elephant. The brought the head of the elephant and Shiva fixed it on the child’s body and brought him back to life. Lord Shiva also declared that from this day the boy would be called Ganesha (Gana Isha : Lord of Ganas). According to the Linga Purana, Ganesha was created by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati at the request of the Devas for being a Vighnakartaa (obstacle-creator) in the path of Rakshasas and a Vighnahartaa (obstacle-averter) to help the Devas achieve fruits of their hard work.
Domestic celebration in Maharashtra
In Maharashtra, most Hindu families also install their own small clay statues for worship on Ganesha Chaturthi. As per the tradition of their respective families, the domestic celebrations come to end an end after 1, 3, 5, 7 or 11 days when the statues is taken in a procession to a large body of water such as rivers or sea for immersion. Due to environmental concerns, a number of families now avoid the large water bodies and instead immerse the statue in a bucket or tub at home. After a few days the clay is used in the home garden. In some cities, a public eco-friendly process is used for immersion. Some Hindus also install the clay images of Ganesha in their homes. It is believed that Ganesha bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during this festival. The festival is celebrated as a public event since the days of Shivaji (1630-1680). While celebrated all over India. It is most elaborate in Maharashtra and other part of Western India. Outside India it is celebrated widely in Nepal and by Hindus in the United States, Canada, Mauritius Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. The festival also celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Mumbai, Pune, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore, Chennai and Jammu. Every year when Ganesha Chaturthi arrives, a large number of his devotees in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra determine not to harm any mouse or rat. It is because the mouse is the vehicle of God Ganesha. Many faithful devotees fell that rats/mice are Vahan of the Ganapati Bappa so harming them will attract curse from Ganesha.
Ganesha is the remover of all obstacles and bestower of boons
Aarti Shree Ganesha Ji ki
Jai Ganesha, Jai Ganesha, Jai Ganesha Deva,
Mata Jaki Parvati, Pita Mahadeva, Jai………
Ek Dant Dayavant, Char Bhuja Dhari,
Mastak Par Sindur Sohe, Muse Ki Sawari, Jai………
Andhan Ko Aankh Det, Kodian Ko Kaya,
Banjhan Ko Puttar Det, Nirdhan Ko Maya, Jai………
Har Chadhe, Phool Chadhe, Aur Chadhe Meva,
Ladooan Ka Bhog Lage, Sant Kare Sewa, Jai………
Dheenan Ki Laaj Rakho, Shambu Sutwari,
Kamna Ko Poora Karo, Jag Balihari, Jai………
(The writer is Social Worker & Writer)
