| |
 |
Ganesh Chaturthi also known
as 'Vinayak Chaturthi' or 'Vinayaka Chavithi' is celebrated by
Hindus as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is celebrated during
the Hindu month of Bhadra; the date usually falls between mid
August and September.
Although this festival is observed in all parts of the country,
it is celebrated with maximum fervour in Maharashtra. It is also
popular in Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra
Pradesh. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal which
is the only Hindu Kingdom in the world.. |
Mythology:
The divine couple, Shiva and Parvati remained childless for a
long time after the birth of their first son Kartikeya. Parvati
yearned for another son and Shiva's long absence from home added
to her loneliness. One day she moulded a clay statue in the form
of her son and used her powers to instill life in it. And it did
happen. She named him Ganesha and was extremely happy to have
him with her. She would leave him in charge to take care of the
house when she would attend to other chores. One day while
Parvati was busy bathing, Ganesha was guarding the entrance of
the house. Unaware of who Shiva was Ganesha stopped him from
entering; taken aback at being stopped Shiva was enraged. In a
fit of anger Shiva chopped off his head and threw it away. On
hearing about this Parvati lost her temper and demanded Shiva to
restore her son to life immediately. To fulfill Parvati’s desire
he set out to find the head, unsuccessful in his attempts he
promised to replace it with the head of the next living form
that came across. As the next living creature was a baby
elephant, so Shiva chopped off the elephant's head, fit it to
the lifeless body of Ganesha and revived him. To compensate his
misdeed Lord Shiva bestowed upon Ganesha the powers of a God and
blessed him that henceforth no activity will begin without
invoking your name and blessings. Since then it is said no new
venture is complete by Hindus without a Ganesha puja.
Celebrations:
Clay idols of Lord Ganesha are made a month prior to the
festival. The celebrations begin with the installation of
beautifully sculpted Ganesha idols at homes and at public
gatherings. Every morning and evening prayers (Aartis) are
performed and hymns are sung. Many cultural events are organised
for children and adults which are a major attraction.
On the final day of the festival, the Ganesha idol is placed on
raised platforms with elaborately decorated outdoor. The priest
then invokes life into the idol amidst the chanting of mantras.
This ritual is called 'pranapratishhtha'. After this the 'shhodashopachara'
follows. Coconut, jaggery, modakas, durva blades and red flowers
are offered. Sandal paste is applied on the idol. Throughout the
ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda and Ganapati Atharva
Shirsha Upanishad, and Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are
chanted. Ladoos are distributed, milk is offered to the idol of
lord Ganesha and Ganesh puja is performed.
For 10 days Ganesha is
worshiped. On the 11th and final day, Ganesha idols are immersed
in rivers, lakes or sea, popularly called ‘Ganesha-Visarjan’.
The Visarjan symbolizes a ritual see-off of the Lord. With the
immersion of the idol the festival ends with pleas to Ganesha to
return the next year. This procession and immersion is
accompanied by drum- beats, devotional songs and dancing.
Tilak's Contribution:
Ganesh Chaturthi was started by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja, the
great Maratha ruler. But the festival took a new meaning in the
year 1893 when it was revived by Lokmanya Tilak to defy the
British who had banned public assemblies and spread the message
of freedom struggle. He popularized it as a national festival to
bridge the gap between people. He transformed it into a large
public event which served as a meeting ground for people of all
castes and communities. The festival gave the Indians a feeling
of unity and revitalized their patriotic spirit and faith.
Author: Ms Coutinho.
|
|
