Impressive Details on How to Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi 2024.

                                       

There is always a special day or occasion in everyone's life. We all have birthdays, remembrance of people who fought for our freedom, or any special day. Same way Indian Hindu religion holds account of every special festival, people, and deities. The Ganesh Chaturthi is of great importance to Hindu families as they celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesh. Lord Ganesh is the god of wisdom and prosperity.

The festival is a religious holiday celebrated in different states in India.  These states include Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Tamil Nadu. In 2024, the festival falls on Saturday 7^th September 2024 in the month of Bhadra Chaturthi. The Festival is set for a ten-day celebration.

History of Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated to remember the birth of Lord Ganesh. Ganesh is a child of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to ancient stories, Ganesh guarded his mother whenever she took birth and he was ordered not to allow anyone to enter even Lord Shiva. One day Lord Shiva tried to enter and Ganesh did not permit him. Lord Shiva got angry and hit the head of Ganesh. Goddess Parvati became unhappy and needed his son to be brought back to life. Lord Braham came for the intervention and fixed the elephants to the body of Ganesh. During this celebration, people from all walks of life come together to promote unity and uphold their cultural customs. Other names given to Lord Ganesh are:

• ·         Ganapati.
• ·         Pillaiyar.
• ·         Heramba.
• ·         Vinayaka.
• ·         Ekadanta.

The significance of Ganesh Chaturthi.

From the history of Lord Ganesh, Ganesh Chaturthi has a lot of significance such as:

• §  Lord Ganesh is a deity of removing obstacles.
• §  On this day people remember the rebirth of Lord Ganesh.
• §  The deity brings achievement and prosperity.
• §  Creates time for devotion and seeking blessings.

 

The portrait of Lord Ganesh.

Lord Ganesh is a leader god of traveling, his portrait is represented as, an elephant head on a human body.

Rituals observed in Ganesh Chaturthi.

During the festival event, the below-mentioned rituals are observed:

v  Installing the Ganesh statue.

Install a portrait of Lord Ganesh (Elephant God) on a platform in a public area or at home accompanied by pranprathishtha puja.

v  Do not look at the moon.

When one looks at the moon on the festival's first day, is said to be a bad omen. So one should avoid looking at the moon on this day.

v  Prayers.

During the prayers, the following should be done:

• o   Aarti: Indirect the deity idol with a plate of the metal lamp, lowers, and kumkum.
• o   Statue washing is done.
• o   Chanting of shlokas.
• o   Offering of sweets and flowers.
• Other prayers are done in Ganesh temples and in public areas where Ganesh installations are put in the evening and morning.

v  Special performance.

Installation of Lord Ganesh in public areas is accompanied by music, skits, and dance.

v  Making and eating modak.

Modak are sweets favorite of Lord Vinayaka. After the making of the sweets, they are distributed to people as Prasad as the festival goes on. Other food items distributed during this period include:

• o   Sundal.
• o   Laddoo.
• o   Pedha.
• o   Barfi.

v  Visarjan.

Is a ritual done on the last day of celebration. It involves the immersion of the deity’s idol to water. During the section people chant bhajans, songs, and shlokas with the idol. People ask for forgiveness from Lord Ganapati and congratulate him for removing hard from their ways. 

Celebration for Ganesh Chaturthi in the 10 days.

The 10-day festival celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi is characterized by many activities as follows:

Ø  Day 1 is to embrace Lord Ganesh with devotion and clay creations.

The day starts with installing the idol of deity Ganesh in homes and public places. Devotees give prayers to the installations.

Ø  Day 2 is to centralize the festival.

The "Chaturthi" is based on being the center of the celebrations.

Ø  Day 3 is for prayers and Aarti to Lord Ganesh.

Devotees offer their devoted prayers and observe the rituals presented to lord Ganesh.

Ø  Day 4 is devotional celebrations with aarti and offerings.

Pilgrims are happy celebrating and offering prayers and aarti celebrations to the deity. They even distribute sweets as gifts to others. This indicates a great honor to Lord Ganesh.

Ø  Day 5 Lord Ganesh is Immersed in “Shhodashopachara Pooja”.

The immersion of "Shhodashopachara Pooja" takes place involving the 16 features of worship which serve as the aspects of Lord Ganesh.

Ø  Day 6 are prayers made at devotees’ homes.

Aarti prayers are done in a joyful mood. They are also called "Sashti" as they give a glimpse of happiness in the homes.

Ø  Day 7 is a sacred voyage prayer.

The day is said to be the “Saptapadi” as involves the seven sacred steps of prayer and much supplication to lord Ganesh.

Ø  Day 8 is for the reverent Ashtami.

In the eight-day lord, Ganesh is offered the following:

• o   Aarti rituals.
• o   Dedicated prayers.
• o   Presentation of Confections.
• Ø  Day 9 is an attribute to nine plants.

On this day the "Navapatrika Pooja" is a tribute given by worshipping the nine different plants.

Ø  Day 10 is the procession and Ganesh Visarjan.

This is the last day of the festival and is also termed "Vijayadashami" which involves the procession of Lord Ganesh's idol to the nearby waters where the idol is immersed.

Significance of immersing the Ganesh statue in water on the last day of the festival.

The significance of immersing the Ganesh statue in water on the last day shows:

• §  The immersion of Ganesh statue in water indicates the end of the festival.
• §  It symbolizes that everything is combined with the natures element.
• §  Lord Ganesh came from clay going back to the element of nature.

Farewell Process for Lord Ganesh.

The Ganesh Visarjan is the climax of the festival. The installed idols are put in water bodies like ponds, seas, lakes, or rivers. If not near these water bodies one can use vessels of water at home. The procession involves devotees singing bhajans or songs as they celebrate with joy. If the idol is heavy, it can be ferried with a wooden carrier or a vehicle. The procession is accompanied by:

• ü  Bhajans.
• ü  Ganapati bapa moriya.
• ü  Dance.
• ü  Prasad and flowers distribution.

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations across the world.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated outside India. This is due to many Indians who live in the other countries. Some of the countries celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi are such as:

v  Singapore: Done in homes. Ganesh idols are decorated and showered with flowers, sacred kumkum, and turmeric. Sugar cane and corn are offered as mango leaves are put in the gates for more beauty.

v  Canada: Celebrations are done in Toronto which is the Canadian metropolis. The Indians in the city celebrate the event at cultural and religious levels. Devotees unite to celebrate Ganesh as they do Aarti ceremonies and distribute Prasad.

v  Malaysia: It involves nine days of devotion. The rituals of “Pranprathisha” are done at the platform to welcome Lord Ganesh in the celebrations.

v  Mauritius: The devotion for the Indians in Mauritius is seen during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Homes are kept clean and beautified with different flowers. The offering of food to appease Lord Ganesh takes the better part of it. The foods offered are such as:

·         Modak.

·         Sweets.

·         Coconut stuffing.

·         Jaggery.

v  Nepal: The heartfelt worship and devotion is done to embrace Lord Ganesh by Indians living in Nepal as they meet with friends and family members. The idols are put in water and they do prayers in temples as they share sweets and modak.

Places to visit during Ganesh Chaturthi Holidays 2024.

During the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, one can visit the following places in India:

ü  Goa: Is the smallest compared to all the states in India. The Installation of Ganesh idols is done through the state. The event brings the union of families and their loved ones.

ü  Pune: The cultural capital of Maharashtra is the best place to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It is celebrated under the religious basis, social life, and cultural customs of Pune. The top five idols found in Pune include:

·         Jogeshwari Ganapati.

·         Kesariwada Ganapati.

·         Kasba Ganapati.

·         Guruji Talim.

·         Tulsi Baug.

ü  Mumbai (capital of Maharashtra state). In this city, 6000 idols are released to be installed every year. The celebrations are done worldwide with the help of Shivaji (The great ruler of Maratha). The Ganesh Pandals found in the city are:

o   KhetwadiGanraj.

o   Lalbaugcha Raja.

ü  Ganpatipule: Being a small city it consists of attractive sites of the sea. The Ganesh idol is found in Swayambhu Ganapati temple is situated in the city. Many festivals and ceremonies are celebrated in this temple.

ü  Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh state capital. Observes royal celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi festival. The biggest idol in the nation is found in Kharitabad. The idol installation is done by the Ganesh Utsav committee in Kharitabad.

 

FAQs.

1. 1.      What do we celebrate during Ganesh Chaturthi festival?

During the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, we celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesh.

1. 2.      When is the date of Ganesh Chaturthi in this year?

Ganesh Chaturthi is on Saturday 7^th September 2024.