Favourite Food Item of Lord Ganesha | Ganesh Chaturthi Special
Ganesh Chaturthi Special Food Modak: Learn about the traditional food prepared to please Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations across India.
A Division of Nishnai Holidays
Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival celebrated to worship Bhagwan Ganesh, who removes all types of obstacles.
It is believed that Bhagwan Ganesh visited the earth and stayed there for ten days. Hence, the celebration continues for these ten days.
The festivities begin as Ganesha deities made of clay and decorated with flowers are set up in homes and temporary shelters called pandals.
The first procedure is Prana Pratishtha, performed on the first day. Every day, daily worship is performed and in the evening, different cultural programs and entertainment events are organized.
Though the festival originated in Maharashtra, today it is celebrated in the whole country with great enthusiasm and devotion.
As far as legend is concerned, Bhagwan Ganesha is the son of Bhagwan Shiva and Devi Parvati. There are many stories behind this festival.
As per one story, Devi Parwati created a baby to guard her while bathing because Bhagwan Shiva was absent.
Meanwhile, Bhagwan Shiva returned home and wanted to enter the home. However, Bhagwan Ganesha stopped him. As a result, Bhagwan Shiva got angry.
After a huge conflict, Bhagwan Shiva severed the head of Bhagwan Ganesha. Bhagwan Shiva replaced the human head with the head of an elephant. Bhagwan Ganesha became alive, and he was blessed by all deities.
According to another legend, Devas requested Bhagwan Shiva and Devi Parvati to create a god that could provide protection to Devas from Rakshasas. Bhagwan created Ganesha, who was also called Ganapati or the Leader of Ganas.
It is believed that Bhagwan Ganesh arrives on earth every year and stays here to bless the devotees.
He stays with the devotees and accepts their worship. That is the reason people remain engaged in various religious activities and cultural events.
Nobody knows exactly how far back the story of Ganesha Chaturthi has been observed; some people believe the festival became a major event during the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
It was revitalized later in the 19th century as a symbol of India’s independence movement by great freedom fighter and activist Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
In 1892, the streets of Pune and Mumbai were full of devotees, despite the fact that such large gatherings were prohibited at that time.
The 10-day festival was celebrated with great pride, fueled by a deep devotion and love for Ganesha. Whether it is a household or an Ashtavinayak temple, there is a great buzz during this event.
As mentioned in the blog, it is a ten-day-long festival.
It begins on the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi, when people bring idols of Ganesha at home or pandals. These are made from clay and are nicely painted and decorated. People use their creativity and imagination to create different forms and types of Ganesha idols.
Houses and pandals are decorated and lit to welcome Bhagwan Ganesha. On the first day, pandits perform the Pran Pratishtha. After worship, prasad is distributed among the devotees.
During the ten days of the Ganesh Festival, various cultural activities are performed. It is believed that Bhagwan Ganesh is fond of all forms of art. Therefore, musicians, dancers, and other artists perform their skills in front of Bhagwan.
During each day of the celebration, Arti is performed in the morning and evening. Prasad is distributed among the devotees. People bring a new item to be distributed as Prasad daily.
On the last day of the festival, Uttarpuja is performed. This ritual signifies that Bhagwan Ganesha is returning to heaven. He accepts the worships and blesses the devotees with health, wealth, knowledge, and wisdom.
The idols are taken to water bodies, and they are immersed in them. Nowadays, many people immerse idols in their homes and use clay in pots.
People go on the Ashtavinayak tour from Mumbai during the auspicious ten-day festival.
People bring Ganesha idols with great enthusiasm and religious spirit on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi and worship him with full seriousness.
However, after ten days, on the auspicious day of Anant Chaturdashi, Bhagwan Ganesha returns to heaven after blessing devotees.
It signifies the fact that every moment passes, whether it is good or bad. Therefore, we should look at it with a Sakshi Bhav or onlooker.
Since clay idols are worshipped during the festival, they are supposed to be immersed in the water.
The Visarjan is a huge ceremony in all the cities in India, but it is exceptionally large and vibrant in Mumbai and Pune.
Huge Ganesha idols are taken to the nearest water bodies.
With Ganesh Visarjan leaves each one with a mixed feeling of devotion and sadness. However, Bhagwan Ganesha idols are immersed in the belief that he will return next year to shower his blessing on the people.
Since there has been a phenomenal increase in the magnitude of celebrations, there has been a greater threat to the surroundings due to the ignorance and carelessness of people.
Thankfully, the situation is improving and today everyone tries to have echo-friendly celebrations.
Ganesha idols are strictly made of clay and painted with environment-friendly colours. They are not immersed in the water bodies that supply drinking water.
People make pandals from environmentally friendly materials and avoid plastic as much as possible. The flowers offered to Bhagwan are composted properly.
The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi signifies the importance of Bhagwan Ganesha in our lives. He is the god who not only removes all types of obstacles but also blesses us with wisdom and knowledge.
Celebrated in the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar, this festival continues for ten days. Many people go on Ashtavinayak Darshan tours during the festival.
Though it has been celebrated as a religious festival in homes for ages, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak made it a public festival to assemble people and create awareness against the British Raj.
Today, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great joy and religious feeling in the whole of India.
There have been many changes in the way it is celebrated, and in modern times, people take all the care to make it an eco-friendly festival.
