Lord Ganesh Chaturthi festival brings happiness, wisdom and prosperity for his devotees

 

Ganesh Chaturthi in 2021

Ganesh Chaturthi for the year 2021 will be celebrated/ observed on Friday, September 10th. Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu celebration of the birth of Lord Ganesh. His life represents Prosperity, Wisdom, and good fortune. The festival falls in August/September which is in the month of Bhadra on Shukla Chaturthi in the Hindu Calendar.

When is Ganesh Chaturthi?

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as 'Vinayak Chaturthi' or 'Vinayaka Chavithi' is the day when all Hindus celebrate one of the most popular deities, Lord Ganesh.

The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada, starting on the Shukla Chaturthi (the fourth day of the waxing moon). This means the date will normally fall between August 19th and September 20th.

History of Ganesh Chaturthi:

Ganesh is also be known by the names Ganapati, Ekadanta, Vinayaka, Pillaiyar and Harambe.

This remains one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the country, partly because Ganesh is one of the most popular deities for worship. His blessings are often invoked at religious ceremonies as he is the one who can remove all obstacles to success, particularly when people are starting a new business or enterprise. Ganesh is known as the giver of fortune and one who can help to avoid natural calamities. Ganesh is also the patron god of traveling.

Ganesh is depicted with an elephant's head on a human body and in the Hindu tradition, he is the son of Lord Shiva and the Goddess Parvati.

How is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated?

In certain parts of India, such as Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, the festival is celebrated for ten days and is a very public occasion. Elsewhere it may be celebrated in homes, where Arties are sung and offerings made to Ganesh. Sweets are a common offering as Hindu legend has it that Ganesh liked them.

On the day of the festival, Clay idols of Ganesh are placed in homes or outdoor in decorated tents for people to view and pay their homage. Priests will then invokes life into the idols while mantras are chanted, in a ritual known as 'Prana Pratishhtha'.

Many of the Ganesh idols will be placed outside under Pipal Trees. The Pipal tree is revered as a great source of remedies and is used to treat up to 50 different ailments. It also has a unique ability in that it can produce Oxygen at night-time instead of Carbon Dioxide. These healthy aspects of the tree make it a popular place for people to worship at, as it is seen as a great healer to naturally cure illnesses.

Which is the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesh?

In Panchang day starts and ends with sunrise. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesh. On Ganesh Chaturthi, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. It is believed that Lord Ganesh was born during Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada month.

How long does it take to worship Lord Ganesh?

People bring idols of Lord Ganesh to their homes and do worship. The duration of this festival varies from 1 day to 11 days, depending on the place and tradition. On the last day of the festival, the idols are taken out in a colorful and musical procession and immersed traditionally in water.

Sankashti Chaturthi:

Know Why Lord Ganesha Is The First One To Be Worshipped In Every Puja:

It is believed that Lord Gajanan takes away all the troubles of his devotees on this day, therefore it is known as Sankashti Chaturthi.

Why is Lord Gajanan worshipped first?

According to the scriptures, Lord Ganesha is also known as 'Remover of Obstacle', and that is why he is called 'Vignaharta'. But do you know why is Lord Ganesha worshipped first in every puja? 

Here's the story behind it:

According to mythology, an invitation was sent to all the deities on behalf of Srihari at the time of the marriage of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. While preparing for the wedding procession on the wedding day, when everyone realized that Lord Ganesh was not a part of the wedding, Lord Vishnu was asked the reason for his absence.

Lord Vishnu said that his father Lord Shiva has been invited. If Lord Ganesha wants to accompany his father, he would be welcomed. However, a separate invitation to Lord Ganesha would be unnecessary. A man suggested to him that even if Lord Ganesha arrived to be a part of the wedding, he should be made a gatekeeper outside the house. He would sit on the mouse and walk slowly and be far behind the procession. Lord Vishnu liked these suggestions and agreed to call Lord Ganesha.

Lord Ganesha felt insulted:

When Lord Ganesha arrived, he was asked to sit outside and guard the house. The wedding procession went ahead, but Lord Ganesha sat outside the house just like a gatekeeper. When Narad Muni saw him, he asked Lord Ganesha why is he not a part of this procession.

Lord Ganesh told him that Lord Vishnu has insulted him by making him a gatekeeper. Hearing this, Narad Muni advised him to send his army of mice ahead of the procession. The army will go there and dig the way, and the chariot will get stuck in the ground. They would then acknowledge and appreciate his presence. 

Lord Ganesh did exactly what Narad Muni advised him. The mice army went ahead and dug the way. This caused the wheels of the chariot to collapse and disintegrate. Seeing this, Narad Muni told the members of the procession are bearing the consequences of insulting Lord Ganesh. He added that their procession can only reach its destination if they apologize and persuade Lord Ganesh. After this incident, Lord Shiva sent Nandi to get Lord Ganesh. Lord Ganesh was brought to the procession and worshipped with great devotion. Only after this were the chariots pulled out of the ground. 

Farmers advise deities:

The wheels of the chariot were completely broken. This is when the farmers working nearby were asked to remove the chariot. They worshipped Lord Ganesha by chanting 'Shri Ganesh Niamh' and pulled the chariot out of the ground. The wheels of the chariot were soon mended. The farmers then told the deities, 'The reason why you were stuck in this problem was that you did not worship Lord Ganesha in the beginning.' Therefore, Lord Ganesh is worshipped before anything auspicious is done so that our journey is obstacle-free.

Bhawan Ganesh Ji Ki Arti

                                                     

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