Ganesh Chaturthi: Why is it celebrated?
Sep 10, 2021
Today marks the beginning of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in India. It is one of the most auspicious times in the country, and the festival marks the birth of the deity Lord Ganesha, the God of wisdom and prosperity. The 10 day long festival will conclude on 21st Sep 2021.
Why is it celebrated?
The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi went public when Maratha ruler Shivaji used it to rouse nationalist sentiments among his people. Lokmanya Tilak changed Ganesh Chaturthi from a private celebration to a grand public festival where people from all castes can come together and pray.
Who is Lord Ganesha?
Ganesha is the younger son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Lord Ganesha was created by Parvati out of dirt from her body to guard her in the absence of Shiva. She gave him the task of guarding her bathroom door while she took a bath. In the meantime, Shiva returned home and Ganesha, who didn't know who Shiva was, stopped him. This angered Shiva and he severed Ganesha's head after an argument between the two.
Parvati was angry when she came to know about it; Lord Shiva, in turn, promised to get Ganesha back to life. But since he was unable to find his head, Shiva fixed the elephant's head on the child's body, and that is how Ganesha was born. And then Lord Shiva promised Parvati ji that Ganesha will also be prayed first whenever there is an auspicious occasion.
Rituals of the festival:
The celebrations begin with devotees bringing idols of the deity to their homes and worshiping him. The idol is offered coconut, jaggery, and 21 modaks. There are four main rituals that are performed during the 10-day long festival. They are namely-- Pranapratishhtha, Shhodashopachara, Uttarpuja, and Ganpati Visarjan.
