Ganesh Chaturthi

Let’s Have a good time Ganpati Bappa’s Janamdin!
“Ganpati Bappa Morya! Mangalmoorti Morya!
Pudchya varshi lavkar ya
Morya Re Bappa Morya Re”
Have you ever come throughout these chants with lengthy processions holding Lord Ganesha’s idols? It’s that point of the 12 months now when households welcome Lord Ganesha into their properties and hearths with nice fervour. Magnificently adorned Lord Ganesha’s idols large and small are mounted on autos or carried with chats welcoming the Lord to grace their properties. That is additionally the time when festivities will begin. Ganesh Chaturthi is the precursor to numerous festivals and occasions that may quickly comply with by means of the 12 months. As we begin any mangal karma by paying our obeisance to Lord Ganpati or Ganesha to take away obstacles and usher in success.
Ganesh Chaturthi, additionally known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is a conventional Vedic pageant celebrating Lord Ganesh’s beginning (Vinayaka). The fourth lunar part is known as Chaturthi or Chaturthi Tithi. The Chaturthi Tithi within the Shukla Paksha (waxing part / vibrant fortnight) pertains to Lord Ganesh, the god of knowledge and success, in response to Vedic tradition. Generally, all Shukla Paksha Chaturthi celebrations are devoted to Lord Ganesh, with the one within the month of Bhadrapada being a very powerful. Devotees commemorate at the present time as Lord Ganesh’s birthday.

When is Ganesh Chaturthi 2023?

he Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 shall be celebrated on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. Ganesh Visarjan or Ananth Chaturdashi on Thursday, September 28, 2023.

Auspicious timings for Ganesh Chaturthi

• Chaturthi Tithi Commences September 18, 2023, at 12:39 PM
• Chaturthi Tithi Concludes September 19, 2023, at 08:43 PM
• Madhyana Ganesh Puja Muhurat From 11:19 AM to 01:43 PM on September 19, 2023
  Length 02 Hours 23 Minutes
• Ganesh Visarjan on Thursday, September 28, 2023
• Keep away from Moon Sighting September 18, 2023, From 12:39 PM to 08:40 PM
  Length 08 Hours 01 Min
• Keep away from Moon Sighting September 19, 2023, from 09:48 AM to 09:18 PM
  Length – 11 Hours 30 Minutes

Ganesh Chaturthi – The Birthday of Lord Ganesh

Throughout each lunar month, the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi (4th lunar part within the waxing part) is devoted to Lord Ganesh and celebrated as his month-to-month birthday. Vinayaka Chaturthi is widely known on nowadays. Crucial is the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi within the Bhadrapada month (sixth lunar month) of the Vedic lunisolar calendar, which is widely known as Lord Ganesh’s annual birthday. The precise Ganesh Chaturthi is widely known on at the present time with nice pomp and devotion. This present day falls in late August or early September on the Gregorian calendar, relying on the moon’s cycle.
Lord Ganesh is among the many most revered gods in Vedic tradition. Since Lord Ganesh is taken into account the god of knowledge, success, and success, his birthday is extraordinarily essential to his devotees. Devotees all around the world have fun Shukla Paksha Chaturthi within the Bhadrapada month as Ganesh Chaturthi – Lord Ganesh’s birthday.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a group pageant that’s celebrated with nice ardour and fervour in Maharashtra and Goa. The pageant lasts for 10 days, starting on Shukla Paksha Chaturthi (4th lunar day) and ending on Shukla Paksha Chaturdashi (14th lunar day) often known as Ananth Chaturdashi with the immersion of idols of Lord Ganesha marking the top to the festivities.

The final components or rites of this pageant embody

On the primary day of Chaturthi, folks observe Vrat (fasting).
Giant clay idols of Lord Ganesh are put in in properties and pandals arrange in public locations.
Every day pujas are performed, choices (prasad) are ready and distributed, and devotees additionally chant the Ganapati Upanishad
Ganesh Visarjan – a ceremonial procession by which the idols of Lord Ganesh are carried and immersed in a river or sea. This ritual takes place on the final day of the Ganesh Chaturthi pageant (Shukla Paksha Chaturdashi, often known as Anant Chaturdashi), and it’s the most spectacular of the pageant. The air is stuffed with chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya Pudchya Varshi Lavkar ya (which means Lord Ganpati we pray to you and request you to reach once more quickly subsequent 12 months and bathe your blessings upon us).

The Legend Behind Ganesh’s Start

The most well-liked legend surrounding Lord Ganesh’s beginning is that Lord Ganesha was created by Goddess Parvati’s utilizing clay which she sculpted into the form of a boy earlier than she went for a shower. The goddess then advised him to face guard at her door till she completed her bathtub. Little Ganesh, following his mom’s orders, stood guard firmly on the door, refusing to let Lord Shiva in. Consequently, the 2 bought right into a struggle, each unaware of who they had been preventing with. Lastly, an enraged Shiva beheaded Ganesh along with his Trishul. Seeing her son being killed, Goddess Parvathi turned enraged and urged Lord Shiva to carry again her son. Lord Shiva promised to resurrect Ganesh.
He directed his Ganas and devas to discover a head, however they may solely discover an elephant’s head. Lastly, Lord Shiva restored Ganesh’s life with the elephant head. Consequently, Lord Ganesh got here to be generally known as the elephant-headed god generally known as Gajanan (‘Gaja’ means elephant and ‘anan’ means face/head).
In line with one other legend, Lord Ganesh was created by Shiva and Parvati following the plea of the devas. Lord Ganesh was born to be the Vighnakartaa (creator of obstacles) to the Rakshasas (demons) and the Vighnaharta (averter of obstacles) to the Devas (deities)

Significance of Lord Ganesh

Ganesh, often known as Ganesha, is likely one of the most revered deities in Vedic tradition. He’s thought-about Shiva and Parvati’s son and the chief of the Ganas (Shiva’s tribe). He’s the god of knowledge, intelligence, and success for devotees all around the world. He’s popularly generally known as the elephant-headed god. Lord Ganesh is often known as Vinayaka, Ganapati (which means “the chief of the ganas” or “the guardian of multitudes”), Gajanan (the elephant-faced one), Vighneswara (the remover of obstacles), and Buddhi Pradaayaka (the one who bestows intelligence).

Lord Ganesh as Vignaharta – the one who removes obstacles

As a result of Lord Ganesh is revered because the eradicator of obstacles and the god of fine fortune, devotees usually worship or pay reverence to him earlier than starting something auspicious. Individuals search his blessings firstly of auspicious features similar to marriage and Graha Pravesh (housewarming), in addition to when beginning new ventures similar to a enterprise, venture, or lengthy journey. His blessings are believed to take away obstacles and make the efforts simpler and extra profitable. His blessings are additionally requested firstly of all temple ceremonies and non secular rituals.

Point out in Historical texts

The time period Ganapati has been talked about within the Rig Veda. It’s, nevertheless, unclear whether or not ‘the Ganapati within the Vedas’ and the later period Ganesha are the identical. This identify seems in various post-Vedic texts, together with the Grhya Sutras, Vajasaneyi Samhita, and Yajnavalkya Smriti. Skanda Purana, Narada Purana, and Brahma Vaivarta Purana all reward him because the god of success and remover of obstacles. Lord Ganapati has been known as Ganesvara and Vinayaka within the Mahabharata.

Ganesh Chaturthi Rituals & Celebrations

Although the pageant of Ganesh Chaturthi is noticed throughout India and by devotees all over the world, it’s celebrated with nice power and pomp within the Indian state of Maharashtra. Additionally it is extensively celebrated in Goa, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations can final wherever from one to eleven days, relying on regional traditions. In Maharashtra and Goa, the pageant lasts 10 or 11 days, starting on Shukla Paksha Chaturthi (4th lunar day) of the Bhadrapada month and ending on Chaturdashi day (14th lunar day). On Shukla Paksha Chaturthi, Ganesha idols are mounted on raised platforms in properties and elaborately adorned pandals (out of doors tents).
In Maharashtra and Goa, erecting pandals and putting in intricately and fantastically crafted Ganesha idols is a standard observe. Idols of a variety of sizes and styles are used, and the artisans normally take months to finish them. This pageant is usually noticed by putting in idols, chanting hymns from Hindu texts such because the Ganapati Upanishad, observing vrat, making ready prasad, performing aarti, and so forth.
The set up of Ganesha idols is a big a part of the pageant, which additionally entails some vital non secular rituals. After the idols have been arrange, the Prana Prathishta ritual is carried out to instill life or the holy presence of the Lord within the idols. It might embody some worship and mantra recitation. Following that the Shodashopachara, or the 16 methods to pay tribute is then carried out.
On every day of the pageant, prayers are provided to the put in deities. The deities are worshipped by chanting Vedic hymns and the Ganesh Upanishad, and they’re anointed with purple sandalwood paste and flowers. Coconut, jaggery, rice, cash, Modaks (Lord Ganesh’s favorite meals), and different sweets are additionally provided by devotees. This pageant’s hottest actions embody visiting the varied public shows of Lord Ganesh and worshipping him. On nowadays, Lord Ganesh temples maintain particular prayers and programmes.

Ganesh Visarjan

Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten or eleven-day pageant that involves a head with the Ganesh Visarjan ritual on Anant Chaturdashi (the final day). On at the present time, all put in Ganesha idols are paraded by means of the streets to the accompaniment of music and dance earlier than being immersed in a physique of water similar to a river or sea. That is the Ganesh Visarjan ritual, which represents the Lord’s return to Mount Kailash, the abode of Shiva and Parvati.
Some folks could carry out this ritual previous to Anant Chaturdashi. It is going to, nevertheless, be noticed solely on odd days, similar to one and a half, three, 5, and 7 days after Ganesh Chaturthi.
Mumbai is one of the best location to see and expertise the Ganesh Chaturthi pageant’s gala. Over 10,000 statues of Lord Ganesh shall be erected all through the town. The celebrations are held in a novel method on the Siddhivinayak temple within the Prabhadevi neighbourhood of central south Mumbai. Through the event, an uncountable variety of devotees go to this temple for prayers. The ultimate day’s Ganesh Visarjan ritual encompasses a grand, vibrant procession that may be a must-see. Yearly, over 150,000 statues are immersed in Mumbai alone!

The Significance of Ganesh Visarjan Ritual

The immersion of idols or deities worshipped as gods into our bodies of water is an instance of an essential thought or precept. It acknowledges the universe’s fixed state of change. All kinds ultimately change into formless, leaving solely power. The immersion of Ganesha idols within the sea, adopted by their destruction, serves as a reminder of this reality. It goals to show us that every part is fleeting and that we should generally let go of the issues we cherish.

The Forbidden Moon

It’s forbidden to take a look at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi. On Ganesh Chaturthi, it’s believed that anybody who sees the moon shall be cursed with Mithya Dosham or Mithya Kalank, which means false accusation of theft (‘Mithya’ means false). In line with legend, it’s because the moon laughed at Lord Ganesha after he fell from his automobile, the rat. In line with legend, Lord Krishna was accused of stealing a helpful jewel as a result of he noticed the moon on Bhadrapad Shukla Paksha Chaturthi (Ganesh Chaturthi).

The historical past behind Sarvajanik Ganesh Chaturthi

Because the seventeenth century, throughout the reign of Shivaji (1630 – 1680), the Ganesh Chaturthi pageant has been celebrated as a communal pageant in Pune. It might have been celebrated earlier, however the actual origin is unknown. After the Mughal-Maratha wars, King Shivaji, the founding father of the Maratha Empire, made it a significant public occasion.
Later throughout the nineteenth century, the British Raj prohibited Hindu gatherings by means of the anti-public meeting laws enacted in 1892. Consequently, Ganesh Chaturthi festivities turned extra of a personal household affair. There are some disagreements about who revived the Ganesh Utsav celebrations. It’s stated that Lokmanya Tilak, Bhausaheb Rangari, and Sardar Krishnaji Khasgiwale had been all recognized to have labored onerous to resurrect this pageant. Whoever it was, the objective of reviving the celebrations was to carry folks of all social courses collectively. It introduced them collectively and united them of their opposition to British rule. As a result of Lord Ganesh was worshipped by all courses and castes, Ganesh Utsav celebrations aided in bridging the caste hierarchy’s hole between the higher and decrease courses. It instilled an intense sense of heritage in them and introduced them collectively emotionally of their opposition to the British authorities.