Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration In India – 2022: Ganesh Chaturthi is a religious festival of Hindus dedicated to Lord Ganesha, son of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. This festival is basically celebrated out for ten days and it is believed that during the time when Lord Ganesha arrived on earth with his mother i.e. Goddess Parvati, and showed his blessing on the people from that time the festival is being continuously celebrated by people. Idols of Lord Ganesha are placed in temples, homes, and pandals which are worshipped for ten days. At last, On the tenth days the idols are being immersed into water which symbols the ends of the festival.
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Ganesh Chaturthi Overview
| Festival | Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganpati’s Day) |
| Also Known As | Vinayaka Chaturthi, Ganeshotsav, Ganpati |
| Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration Date | 31, August 2022 |
| Day | Wednesday |
History Of Ganesh Chaturthi
The history of Ganesh Chaturthi can be traced back to Lord Shivaji. There are various stories behind his birth but two of them are the most common ones.
According to the first story, Lord Ganesha was created by Parvati out of dirt from her body to guard her in the absence of Shiva. She gave him the task of guarding her bathroom door while she took a bath. In the meantime, Shiva returned home and Ganesha, who didn’t know who Shiva was, stopped him. This angered Shiva and he severed Ganesha’s head after a tiff between the two. Parvati was enraged when she came to know about this; Lord Shiva, in turn, promised to get Ganesha back to life. The devas were sent to search for a child’s head facing north but they could only find an elephant’s head. Shiva fixed the elephant’s head on the child’s body, and that how Ganesha was born.
The other popular story is that the Devas requested Shiva and Parvati to create Ganesha so that he can be a Vighnakarta (creator of obstacles) for rakshasas (demons), thus being a Vighnaharta (averter of obstacles) and helping Devas.
Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi
According to a popular tale, Lord Ganesha was created by Goddess Parvati by accumulating her body dirt and giving it a human form. She created him to protect her. Lord Shiva was oblivious of Ganesha’s existence until he paid a visit to his wife Parvati only to be stopped by Ganesha who was guarding her. Lord Shiva was so furious about being stopped by someone her didn’t know to meet his wife that he chopped off Ganesha’s head in anger.
On seeing her son lying dead on the floor, Parvati also lost her cool and began fuming in anger. All the other gods and goddesses requested lord Shiva to pacify her. It was then that Lord Shiva attached an elephant’s head to the body of Ganesha and revived him. That is why Lord Ganesha is also known as Gajanan.
This festival is celebrated with great devotion and joy by Hindus throughout the world. In India, it is majorly celebrated in states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana.
Rituals Performed During Ganesh Chaturthi
There are four main rituals which are performed during the 10-day long festival. They are namely– Pranapratishhtha, Shhodashopachara, Uttarpuja, and Ganpati Visarjan.
The excitement of Ganesh Chaturthi settles in weeks before the festival actually begins. Artisans start preparing clay idols of Ganesha in different poses and sizes.
The Ganesha idols are installed in beautifully decorated ‘pandal’ at homes, temples or localities. The statue is also decorated with flowers, garlands and lights. A ritual called Pranapratishhtha is observed where a priest chants mantra to invoke life in the diety.
Prayers are then offered to Ganesha’s idol in 16 different ways. This ritual is called Shhodashopachara.
People celebrate by singing or playing religious songs, dancing to drum beats and by lighting up fireworks– all of which add to the festive mood.
While some devotees celebrate this festival at home, others pay their visit to Lord Ganesha at public pandals. People offer their due respect, prayers and offerings to Ganesha. Dishes like Lord Ganesha’s favourite Modak, Laddu, Pooran Poli, and Karanji are prepared for friends, family and visitors.
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