Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration India

Why and How Lord Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated in Maharashtra and Gujarat

Many Indians believe that Ganesha brings luck and prosperity. He is God to help the Dev’s and humans in the protection of balance by bringing hurdles to block the evolvement of evil and removing hurdles from the paths of goodness.

With this belief many Indians are keeping Ganpati Idol at the entrance of their home, they are worshiping this God at the start of every new celebration.

Story of Lord Ganesha

There is an interesting story of Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha was created in a completely human form by the Goddess Parvati. She prepared him from clay or the earth from her own body (versions vary) and gave it life. Once she was going for bath She asked him to stand at the door and don’t allow anybody to enter inside. But during that time Lord Shiva who is her husband came there and wanted to meet Goddesses Parvati but Ganesha barred him to enter inside. Shiva was got violent at being denied the entry into his home and tremendous battle followed between Ganesha and Shiva won the battle and beheading Ganesha. When Goddesses Parvati came outside and seen the situation She got furious and asked him to offer life back to my son Ganesha So he sent his men to bring back the head of the first being they came across. They met an elephant so they cut down his head and brought to Shiva. Lord Shiva placed his head on the human body of Ganesha created by Goddesses Parvati. That is why this God is called elephant-headed God.

How Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in Maharashtra and Gujarat?

Celebration of this festival publically started in 1893 by freedom fighter Lokmanya Gangadhar Tilak, the intention was to bring bonding all community together.

Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated on the anniversary of the day Ganesha was revived in his elephant-headed form. The exact date of the festival changes from year to year and it is celebrated in accordance with the Lunar Calendar. The festival fall in late August or the first week of September. During this cycle period, there is a huge celebration where devotees 'bring' Ganesha into their house, or Pandal (temporary shrine) as a guest in the form of an idol. The idol is made of earth/clay or nowadays it is made from eco-friendly material. He is worshipped with decorative rituals for 10 days, so as to invoke his blessings and when this festival cycle is completed, the statue is ceremoniously immersed in a water body. This is called visarjan.

Some Devotees celebrate this festival for 1.5 days, 3 days, 5 days or 10 days. This is because thy solemnly promised to Lord Ganesha.

The celebration in Ganesh Chaturthi’ in Maharashtra and Gujarat almost the same with a slight difference. Individual Maharashtrian people use to bring this idol at home, decorated the temporary pandal at home, During this period they ensure somebody from their family must be available they do not lock their home by any means. However, In Gujarat, they follow the same process but some people use to keep their individual idols at common public pandal and another process is the same as Maharashtrian.

Why is Ganesh Visrjan done?

It is believed that the ritual is done to indicate the birth cycle of Lord Ganesha; just as he was formed from clay/Earth, his symbolic idol is as well. The immersion of the idol takes place on the day of Anant Chaturdasi. The word Anant means countless or everlasting energy or immortality, whereas Chaturdasi means 14th. Thus, the occasion falls on the 14th day of the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar and on it Lord Ananta, which is the avatar of Lord Vishnu is also worshipped

 The idol is immersed in water so that Ganesha may return to his home after his ‘stay’ at the devotees’ home or temple where the Ganesha Chaturthi rituals are conducted.

Since discarding or breaking would be disrespectful, the statue is ritualistically immersed in the water so it may break down to the clay from whence it came. Some statues are prepared as such that its constituent materials actually benefit the ecosystem they enter.

However in recent years the immersion of Ganesha idols made of non-biodegradable materials and the use of poisonous substances in the paints have led to pollution of water bodies and take away from the positive symbolism and impact of the ritual.