Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi is also popularly called as Vinayaka Chavithi or Vinayaka Chaturthi. This festival is celebrated on the birth day of Lord Ganesh, the first son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. Ganesh is revered as an avatar of both Shiva and Vishnu. Vinayaka Chavithi is celebrated in the month of September on Shukla Paksha Chaturthi in Bhadrapada masam (as per Hindu calendar). 

The festival is celebrated for 11 days. This festival is celebrated all over India especially in Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra, Banglore in  Karnataka, Chennai in Tamilnadu and Hyderabad and Vizag in Andhra Pradesh. On this day, Lord Shiva has declared that his son Vinayaka as superior to all the Gods. This festival celebrated with full enthusiasm and ardor.

There is an interesting story regarding the birth of Lord Ganesh as per the Indian Mythology. Goddess Parvathi (wife of Lord Shiva) created a small kid’s idol with sandalwood paste which she uses for her bath. She gave life to this small idol and made him to guard her door while she is taking her bath. Lord Shiva came to meet Goddess Parvathi, Ganesh who didn’t know Lord Siva didn’t allow him into the place. Shiva became angry upon Ganesh and cut off the head of child and he entered his house. After he came to know about the kid from Goddess Parvati  he fixed a elephant head in place of Ganesh head and gave him life. From this day Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated as birthday of Lord Ganesh.

On this holy day people bring Ganesh idols and pray to the idols of Lord Ganesh both in the main streets and in the houses. These idols are made from plaster of paris or with mud. People pray to these idols from 1 to 10 days. On the 11^th day of this festival, these Ganesh idols are submerged in to lakes, rivers or the sea. This 11^th day of the festival is called as Anant Chaturthi. In the procession on the way to submersion of the Idol’s people raise slogans and chant “Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pundhachya Vashi Larshi Laukar Ya” (Ganesha , come again early next year) in Maharashtra , Ganesh Maha Raj Ki, Jai ( Ganesha, victory is yours) in Andhra Pradesh etc....

On this day people decorate the idols with flowers, sandalwood powder, kumkum, grass, leaves, fruits of the season etc. Special sweets like laddoos and modakas which are favorite of the God’s are prepared and offered to God. God is worshipped with 21 blades of Druva Grass, 21 modakas, and red flowers. On this day no one should see the moon because the fable in the Indian mythology. On his birthday Lord Ganesh crammed his belly with modakas and was riding on his mouse. The mouse seeing a snake faltered and Lord Ganesh fell down and his belly which was crammed bursted out spilling all the modakas. Ganesha stuffed all the modakas back into his stomach and tied his belly with the snake. By seeing this the moon in the sky starting laughing heartily, which annoyed Ganesh and he cursed moon that anyone who looks moon will invite bad luck. Since then people refrain from looking at the moon on the festival.  Lord Siva revoked this curse on request from the God’s  and altered it, with whoever see the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi.

"Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pandhachya Vashi Larshi  Laukar Ya"

                             'Bolo Ganesh Maha Raj ke Jai'