Ganesh Chaturthi Festival Guide 2019
Ganesh Chaturthi Festival Guide festival of Ganesh Chaturthi honors the birth of the beloved Hindu elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha, popularly worshiped for his ability to remove obstacles and bring good fortune
How, When and Where to Celebrate the Ganesh Festival in India
his spectacular festival of Ganesh Chaturthi honors the birth of the beloved Hindu elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha, popularly worshiped for his ability to remove obstacles and bring good fortune. The festival is celebrated in a very public manner. Local communities compete with each other to put up the most impressive Ganesha statue and display. Expect very crowded streets, filled with boisterous devotees, and lots of music.
Ganesh Chaturthi Festival Dates
The festival takes place late August or early September, depending on the cycle of the moon. It falls on the fourth day after the new moon in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. In 2019, Ganesh Chaturthi takes place on Monday, September 2. The festival extends over 11 days with the biggest spectacle happening on the last day called Anant Chaturdasi day, which falls on September 12, 2019.
Where is it Celebrated?
The festival is widely celebrated in the state of Maharashtra, where it originated as a public festival in the city of Pune more than 125 years ago. Although there is debate over who started it there (Sardar Krishnaji Khasgiwale, freedom fighter Bhausaheb Rangari or freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak), its main purpose was to bring people of different classes and castes together to unite them against the British rule. The idol at Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple in Budhwar Peth is very popular and historical.
Celebrations have spread to other states including Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
How is it Celebrated?
The festival begins with the installation of huge elaborately crafted statutes of Ganesha in homes and podiums, which have been specially constructed and beautifully decorated. Artisans put months of effort into making the statues. It's forbidden to look at the moon on this first night as legend had it the moon laughed at Lord Ganesha when he fell from his vehicle, the rat. On Ananta Chaturdasi (the last day), the statues are paraded through the streets, accompanied by much singing and dancing, and then immersed in the ocean or other bodies of water.
In Mumbai alone, more than 150,000 statues are immersed each year!
What Rituals are Performed?
Once a statue of Lord Ganesh is installed, a ceremony is undertaken to invoke his holy presence into the statue. This ritual is called the Pranapratishhtha Puja, during which a number of mantras are recited. Following this, a special worship ceremony is performed. Offerings of sweets, flowers, rice, coconut, jaggery, and coins are made to the God. The statue is also anointed with red Chandan powder. Prayers are offered to Lord Ganesha every day during the festival. Temples devoted to Lord Ganesha also organize special events and prayers.
Those who have a Ganesha statue in their house treat and care for him as a much-loved guest.
Why are the Ganesh Statues Immersed in Water at the End of the Festival?
Hindus worship idols, or statues, of their gods because it gives them a visible form to pray to. They also recognize that the universe is in a constant state of change. Form eventually gives away to formlessness. However, the energy still remains. The immersion of the statues in the ocean, or other bodies of water, and subsequent destruction of them serves as a reminder of this belief.
Ganesh Chaturthi Detailed Information
Ganesh Chaturthi commemorates the birthday of Lord Ganesh. On this day, beautiful handcrafted idols of the Lord are installed both in homes and in public. Prana Pratishtha is performed to invoke the power of the deity into the idol, followed by a 16 step ritual known as Shodashopachara Puja. During the ritual, various offerings including sweets, coconuts, and flowers are made to the idol. The ritual should be performed at an auspicious time around midday, known as Madhyahna, when Lord Ganesh is believed to have been born.
It's important, according to tradition, not to look at the moon during certain times on Ganesh Chaturthi. If a person sees the moon, they'll be cursed with accusations of theft and dishonored by society unless they chant a certain mantra. Apparently, this came about after Lord Krisha was falsely accused of stealing a valuable jewel. Sage Narada said that Krishna must've seen the moon on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi (the occasion that Ganesh Chaturthi falls on) and was cursed because of it. Furthermore, anyone who saw the moon then would be cursed in a similar way.
The idols of Lord Ganesh are worshiped every day, with an aarti in the evening. The largest Ganesh statues, on display to the public, are usually taken out and immersed in water on Anant Chaturdasi. However, many people who keep an idol in their homes carry out the immersion much before this.
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