Ganesh Chaturthi Festival in India: Goddess Parvati. Ganesha Is Known by 108 Different Names and Is
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Million Dollar KnowledgeGanesh Chaturthi Festival in India: Goddess Parvati. Ganesha Is Known by 108 Different Names and Is
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Million Dollar KnowledgeGanesh Chaturthi Festival in India
Introduction:
Lord Ganesha is the younger son of Hindu God Lord Shiva and
Goddess Parvati. Ganesha is known by 108 different names and is
the God of arts and sciences and knowledge. People believe that
Ganesha helps to overcome any problem in a person's life. Before
the start of any ceremonies in Hindus, such as engagements,
weddings, house warming, inauguration, etc. the Pooja of Lord
Ganesha is held.
Birth Story of Lord Ganesha:
Once when goddess Parvati was taking a bath along with her friends
in her palace then Lord Shiva arrived inside her palace without any
notice. Goddess Parvati became very angry with Lord Shiva.
Goddess Parvati decided to create a child of her own to guard the
entrance of her palace. She scrapped some dirt from her body and
shaped it into a beautiful boy instructing him not to allow anyone
inside the palace without her permission.
Once, Lord Shiva tried to enter the palace, Ganesha did not know he
was his father. Likewise, even Lord Shiva did not know about
Ganesha. When Lord Shiva tried to enter, Ganesha stopped him.
Lord, Shiva was enraged beyond control and they broke into a fight
and in a fit of rage. He slashed the head of the child with his Trishul.
The sounds of the fight reached Parvati's ears. She came to the door
and her eyes fell on the boy's still form. She was very angry at Lord
Shiva for what had happened.
Lord Shiva wanted to make it up to Parvati and decided to put life
back into the child by putting the head of the first sleeping creature
that came inside lying with its head to the north. He sent his Ganas
to go in search of the creature.
The Ganas who went in search of the creature found an elephant
sleeping in the northern direction and brought its head to mount
Kailash. Lord Shiva recreated his son with the head of the elephant
and blessed the child.
Story Behind The Name of Ganesh:
We just read the word Ganas in the above paragraph. Then may you
have to arise a question in your mind that who is Ganas? And why
they are known as Ganas? The answer is devotees of Lord Shiva,
who are always with him and their work is to do Pooja or Bhakti of
Lord Shiva and devoted themselves to a Lord. This group of the
Bhakt or Devotees is called Ganas.
After recreate or giving life again to his son, Lord Shiva named him
"Ganesha" or "Ganapati" which means the leader of the Ganas. In
India, he is also known as the remover of all obstacles and will be
worshiped first at the start of all ceremonies. Ganesha is the God of
wisdom with his elephant's head.
Who Started Ganesh Chaturthi and Why?
When Lord Ganesha alive again then there was a time of Chaturthi,
which is an Indian Vedic Time. You can find more information about
it from the Hindu calendar. From that day, his birth festival is
celebrating in India as Ganesh Chaturthi.
Ganesha is the most loved of all gods and has been worshipped
throughout history. No one knows when the festival started.
Chhatrapati Shivaji was the first to make Ganesh Chaturthi a public
and social event.
When the British had captured India they stopped the festival.
People stopped celebrating in public and kept Ganesha idols in their
homes to celebrate the festival. There was also a big inequality
between Brahmins and Non-Brahmins There were many problems
in India and everyone was suffering.
In 1892, freedom fighter Baal Gangadhar Tilak saw the division
among people and wanted to unite people. He wanted the people to
be united and loving like before. During British rule, the festival
brought the entire country together. Till now the festival is
celebrated in India with the same spirit.
How to do Ganesh Chaturthi Pooja at Home?
Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10 days long Hindu festival that is celebrated
for Lord Ganesha's birthday. It is said that during the Ganapati
festival for 10 days, the energy, the Ganesh Tattva or Ganapati
Tattva is more present on the Earth; it is easier to experience that or
to enliven that.
In Hindu Culture before starting any Pooja we invoke Lord Ganapati.
That means we have to awaken Lord Ganesha's element in our soul,
we have to move from negativity towards positivity. We make an
idol of Ganapathi out of clay and appeal to him that the same life that
exists within us. Which is the Lord himself should reside in the idol
for a short time, so that we can play with Him.
We want to return all that benevolence he has showered on us. The
Lord has given us water, fruits, flowers, food, clothes and we want to
offer the same to Him. Due to his blessings, the sun and the moon
shower their light on us every day, so we would like to do the same
for Him by doing the 'Aarti' for Him.
In this manner, a devotee can express his devotion to the Lord. Just
as jewelry is taken out of the vault to be used during special
occasions, and then put back after the end of the ceremony.
Similarly, after the Pooja, we request the Lord to return to our mind
from where he came.
Ganesh Utsav is the process of bringing out this priceless wisdom
that is hidden inside our minds. Use this wisdom to enjoy the bliss in
your life.
Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra:
Maharashtra is the state known for grand-scale Ganesh Chaturthi
celebrations and people's creativity is superb. They enjoy this
festival. Each locality places a Ganesha idol in their Pandal. This is
done by all the localities.
Days before homes are cleaned, decorated, and colorful shrines are
set up where Ganesha is placed. People use flowers and their
creativity to beautify the place. Some of the statues are up to 20-30
feet or more high. There are beautiful lighting and decoration.
People gather in a large crowd to enjoy and have fun. People
organize events such as dance, singing, and Aarti competitions so
that people can bond together.
Ganesha's favorite is sweet Modak. To celebrate the festival, people
make large quantities of Modaks. This is how people bond and
celebrate the joyous Ganesh Chaturthi Festival. Some people may
immerse him after one and a half-day, three days, five, seven, or ten
days. When Ganesha is placed in the water for his farewell
immersion it is called 'Ganpati Visarjan.'
Ganpati Visarjan's tenth day is very important. People sing, dance,
and gather in large numbers for his Visarjan. In Mumbai alone, more
than one lakh idols are immersed annually. While singing and
dancing, people chant phrases. They ask him to quickly come again
next year by saying "Pudhyachi Varshi Lavkar Ya".
How to Celebrate Eco-Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi?
This festival is celebrated and enjoyed every year but there are
many environmental problems because of it. The Ganesha idols are
made up of Plaster of Paris, the flowers and plastic decorations are
very bad for the environment. When the idols are immersed, the
POP does not dissolve and remains in the water. It is bad for the
environment and endangers the lives of the fish as well.
Since there is so much awareness regarding the pollution of the
environment, people have found different ways to celebrate this
festival. People create man-made water bodies in their localities and
invite people to immerse the idols there on the 10th day. This saves
the environment as there is less litter.
People have stopped using Plaster of Paris to make the idols and are
using natural products. This shows that we can celebrate our love
for Ganesha without harming the environment.
Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi:
If you see in this whole creation all the atoms, all the substances, for
them to behave the way they should, for all the Dravyas to act as per
their qualities, their gunas or characters, to keep this balance, that
governing energy is called Ganapati or Ganesha.
At the same time another symbolism which can be found is that it is
said that Ganapati or Ganesha has the full knowledge, such Avast
Buddhi, his intellect is so expanded, such expanded awareness. Head
of an elephant to remind people that this energy, this Shakti, gives
you that expanded awareness.
If you see the symbolism, another thing is in the elephant trunk. It
says that that is the place where the Jnanedriyas and the
Karmendriyas, the organs of action and perception, come together.
Because the trunk is both used to smell, to eat, as well as to grab and
to touch. So it says the Ganapati tattva that energy of Ganesha is the
shakti of action, kriya shakti, and the jnana shakti, that energy of
perception, of wisdom, they move together, they are aligned. We act
as per the knowledge, in the right manner.
And another thing is, it's beautiful to see if you see the statue of
Ganesha, he has a noose, as well as a goad, that Ankusha or self
Control. It says that Ganesha resides at the base of the spine, the
Mooladhara, which is the seat of the Kundalini Shakti. And the goad
is used to awaken that energy, and the noose is used to control it.
It is said that when that Kundalini energy awakens, it has to also be
controlled, it has to move in the right direction, otherwise, it can be
dangerous also, and it can create problems also. So, to awaken the
energy and to guide it in the right direction, Ganesha is very
important.
The most important thing about celebrating Ganesh Utsav is, all the
people are celebrating this festival together. There have no caste,
creeds differentiations while celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi Festival.
Conclusion:
Hopefully, friends, you may get most of the information regarding
Ganesh Chaturthi. Now you all know that why Ganesh Chaturthi
celebrates every year. I wish all of you celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi
with the intention for what it was started. "Be Celebrate together,
live together". And of Course as per present situation due to Covid
pandemic keep distance physically only, by mentally always be a
one.
Thank You!
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