22 Aug, 2020

Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi (Vinayaka Chaturthi), is a Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of Ganesh to earth from Kailash Parvat with his mother Goddess Parvati/Gauri. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesh clay idols privately in homes, or publicly on elaborate pandals (temporary stages). Observations include chanting of Vedic hymns and Hindu texts such as, prayers and brata (fasting) Offerings and prasadam from the daily prayers, that are distributed from the pandal to the community, include sweets such as modaka as it is believed to be a favourite of Lord Ganesh. The festival ends on the tenth day after start (this day is known as Ganesh Visarjan) , when the idol is carried in a public procession with music and group chanting, then immersed in a nearby body of water such as a river or sea. In Mumbai alone, around 150,000 statues are immersed annually.Thereafter the clay idol dissolves and Ganesh is believed to return to Mount Kailash to Parvati and Shiva. People around the globe have started using and echoing the use of Eco Friendly Material for making Ganesh idol. In the year 2020 during covid19 situation it was seen that many people offered webinars to make Ganesh Idol at home using clay! The festival celebrates Lord Ganesh as the God of New Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles as well as the god of wisdom and intelligence and is observed throughout India, especially in the states such as Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh and is usually celebrated privately at home in Tamil Nadu.Ganesh Chaturthi is also observed in Nepal and by the Hindu diaspora elsewhere such as in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, other parts of the Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa United States, and Europe. In Gregorian calendar Ganesh chaturthi falls between 22 August and 20 September every year.