Ganesh Chaturthi - 2015

Although celebrated all across India, Ganesh Chaturthi (or Vinayak Chaturthi, as it's also known) is a really important festival especially in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the Deccan and South India.

Ganesh festival is about bringing home brilliantly crafted idols of the God, and there he will sit in state till Ganesh Chaturthi on September 17, when he is devotedly immersed in water.

Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharastra India

A festival dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated across much of India. Ganesh festival itself, sweets - especially laddoos and sugary modaks, which are a favourite of the God's -- are distributed (and consumed) and Ganesh temples are crowded with devotees who participate in the worship of the deity.

Ganesh Chaturthi (or Vinayak Chaturthi, as it's also known) is a really important festival especially in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the Deccan and South India.

On the day of the Ganesh festival itself, sweets - especially laddoos and sugary modaks, which are a favourite of the God's are distributed (and consumed) and Ganesh temples are crowded with devotees who participate in the worship of the deity.

Celebrations On Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi- which marks the birth of the Lord Ganesh- begin up to ten days in advance, and sometimes even months in advance.

In virtually every neighborhood, a brightly decorated and painstakingly crafted Ganesh idol is made, to be illuminated and worshipped for all of the ten days leading up to Ganesh Chaturthi.

Accompanied by fireworks displays, beating drums and the sound of thousands of voices singing devotional songs, the idols are ritually immersed in a nearby sea, lake or river. The immersion ceremony, which is known as the 'visarjan', marks the end of the festivities. The people dance with great enthusiasm and singing rents the air, urging the god to return post haste the next year.

Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi

The fervour with which devotees celebrate the birthday of their most loved deity – Lord Ganesha suggests the significance of Ganesh Chaturthi in their lives.

The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is observed on the fourth day of Bhadrapad Shukla Paksha (ascending moon phase), of the Hindu lunar month of Magh. It is believed that Lord Ganesha was born on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Magh, thereby establishing an association between Ganesh and chaturthi (four).

Rituals of Ganesh ChaturthiA popular myth associated with Ganesh Chaturthi is that one should refrain from looking at the moon on this day.

The fable behind this myth goes like on one of his birthdays, Lord Ganesha after stuffing his belly with modaks, rode on his mouse that stumbled after seeing a snake. This resulted in Ganesha falling down, bursting out his stomach and spilling all the modaks.

Ganesha stuffed all the modaks back into his stomach and tied his belly with the snake. Seeing this moon in the sky starting laughing heartily, which annoyed Ganesha and he cursed moon that anyone who will look at it on Ganesh Chaturthi will invite a bad luck.

To know more Celebrations, Significance and Rituals of Ganesh Chaturthi

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