Ganesh chaturthi
Ganesh chaturthi festival is celebrate in bhadrapad month according to hindu calendar or in september.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with a belief that Lord Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati, bestows His blessings on His devotees, on this day. It is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the God of wisdom. Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, which falls around August or September. The occasion becomes very lively and enthusiastic with the devotional songs, dances and drum beats being a part of the procession observed by the devotees of Lord Ganesha, as a part of the festivities. Ganesh Chaturthi is the only festival that involves and welcomes the participation of general public. Ganesh Chaturthi is an important festival of Maharashtra, celebrated grandly in other parts of India as well. The preparation starts one month in advance, with great enthusiasm, to celebrate this auspicious occasion. The festival starts with the installation of beautifully sculpted Ganesha idols in homes and mandaps. These idols are decorated beautifully and show religious themes. The occasion also sees various cultural events being held every where, in which people participate with interest. After celebration, the time of farewell comes and the idol of the beloved God is immersed in water. The celebration ends with the immersion, accompanied by loud shouts of ‘Ganapati Bappa Moraya’.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with huge enthusiasm in most parts of the country especially in Maharashtra and parts of South India. Preparations start two to three months before the festival. Idols of Ganesha are prepared by skilled artisans and are decorated and painted beautifully. These statues vary in size and are installed in houses and temporary erected special structures called Mandapas or Pandals in each locality. These Pandals are decorated with items like lights, flower garlands, etc. Some of the decorations are based on themes.
The priest is then called in to invoke life into the statue by chanting mantras and performing rituals. The Deity of Lord Ganesha is worshipped for ten days and on the eleventh day the statue is taken in a procession through the streets escorted with a fanfare of singing and dancing. It is finally immersed in the sea or a river symbolizing a ritual in which Lord Ganesha takes a journey towards his abode, taking along the troubles of his devotees. This ritual is known as Ganesh Visarjan in Marathi, Ganesha Visarjane in Kannada and Vinayaka Nimajjanam or Vinayaka Nimarjana in Telugu.
The festival is also celebrated with various cultural activities, theater performances, community activities like free medical checkup camps, charity for the poor, etc. The Ganesh Chaturthi has become an important economic event.
Many industries, businesses and artists survive on this mega-event as it provides them an excellent stage to present their art to the community.
Significance: It’s the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God