Ganesh Chaturthi History and Celebration

Ganesh Chaturthi History

Lord Ganesh’s birthday is celebrated on Ganesh Chaturthi. The cherished elephant-headed god who is adored for his capacity to vanquish difficulties is considered to have the greatest strength on this day, according to Hindus. On this day, exquisitely made idols of the Lord are set up in both private residences and public spaces.

Ganesh Chaturthi History
Ganesh Chaturthi History

Ganesh Chaturthi History- A 16-step ceremony called “Shodashopachara Puja” is done after Prana Pratishtha, which calls upon the deity’s power to be imbued into the statue. Hinduism celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, a ten-day celebration that commemorates the birth of the elephant-headed deity Ganesha, a symbol of wisdom and prosperity.

The sixth month of the Hindu calendar, Bhadrapada (August–September), or the fourth day (Chaturthi), is when it officially starts. Ganesha idols are erected on elevated platforms in homes or in ornately decorated outside tents to mark the beginning of the festival. Ganesh Chaturthi History is valued in the Western part of the country. 16 different ways to worship are followed by the Pranapratishtha rite, which brings life to the idols.

Ganesh Chaturthi History- The statues are smeared with red sandalwood paste and yellow and red flowers amid the chanting of Vedic hymns from sacred scriptures like the Ganesh Upanishad. In addition, coconut, jaggery, and 21 modaks—sweet dumplings thought to be Ganesha’s favorite food—are served to him. At the festival’s conclusion, massive processions of idols are taken to nearby waterways while being accompanied by drumming, devotional singing, and dance.

During the rite, numerous offerings are presented to the idol, such as sweets, coconuts, and flowers. Around midday (Madhyahna), when Lord Ganesh is thought to have been born, the ceremony should be carried out at a fortunate moment.

Depending on where in India you are, according to Vedic astrology, it lasts from 11 am until 1.30 pm. Tradition dictates that on particular occasions like Ganesh Chaturthi, one should avoid looking at the moon. Hindu legend states that if a person views the moon, they will be cursed with allegations of stealing and disgraced by society until they recite a specific mantra.

Lord Krisha was allegedly wrongly accused of stealing a priceless jewel, which is how this came to pass. On Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi, the day that Ganesh Chaturthi falls, Sage Narada claimed that Krishna must have seen the moon and was afflicted as a result. Ganesh Chaturthi History. And from then forth, the moon would be a sign of a similar curse for anybody who saw it.

Every day, in the evening, an “aarti,” or devotional ceremony, is performed for the idols of Lord Ganesh. On Anant Chaturdashi, the largest Ganesh idols that are on public display are brought out and submerged in water during elaborate street processions that feature a cacophony of drums and crackers from the past. 

Ganesh Chaturthi History
Ganesh Chaturthi History

The Rigveda has the first reference to Ganapati, even if it does not refer to the god’s traditional form. Once in shloka and once in shloka of the Rigveda, respectively, it is mentioned twice. It is unclear whether the post-Vedic books such as the Grhya Sutras or the Vedic name Ganapati, which literally means “protector of the multitudes,” referred to later era Ganesh explicitly. Additionally, neither the Vedic texts nor Ganesh Chaturthi is mentioned in the Vedic scriptures. 

Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration

After that, Ganapati is referred to as Ganesvaras and Vinayak in ancient Sanskrit works as the Vajasaneyi Samhita, the Yajnavalkya Smriti, and the Mahabharata. In the medieval Puranas, Ganesh is described as the “god of success and remover of obstacles.” In particular, the Skanda Purana, Narada Purana, and Brahma Vaivarta Purana lavishly extol him.

Beyond literary interpretations, archaeological and epigraphic data indicate that Ganesha was revered and popular before the 8th century CE, and a number of his pictures date to the 7th century or before. For instance, carvings from Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain temples such as those at the Ellora Caves, dating from the 5th to the 8th century, depict Ganesha reverently seated beside a major Hindu goddess (Shakti).

Ganesh Chaturthi History- In India, local community groups celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi primarily at homes and in public in the central and western states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Goa as well as the southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, as well as the eastern states of West Bengal and Odisha and the north-eastern states of Assam.

On the same day, the Mithila region of Bihar celebrates the Chaurchan festival, which honors Chandra, the moon god, and Ganesha. “Bhadrapada Madyahanaa Purvabaddha” is when the celebration is held. The following day is observed if the Chaturthi Thiti starts at night on the previous day and ends by daybreak on the following day. 

Ganesh Chaturthi History
Ganesh Chaturthi History

The custom of immersing Ganesha statues in a river, sea, or other body of water takes place on the festival’s last day as part of the Ganesh visarjan or nimajjanam ritual. On the final day, processions of Ganesha statues are carried by devotees, who then immerse the idols.

Ganesh Chaturthi History- On Ganesh Chaturthi, it is thought that the god visits the ground and then, following immersion, ascends back to his heavenly home. Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that honors the god of wisdom and prosperity. It also symbolizes the cycle of birth, life, and death. According to popular belief, when the Ganesha idol is removed from the house for immersion, all of the house’s numerous impediments are also taken with it and vanquished.

Suggested Reads; Vinayaka Chaturthi – Puja Time, History
Ganesh Chaturthi

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