Ganesh Chaturthi 2019: Homecoming Of Vighnaharta Ganesh

Ganesh Chaturthi 2019: Homecoming Of Vighnaharta Ganesh
Ganesh Chaturthi is going to start on September 2, 2019 and end on September 12, 2019.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2019: Homecoming Of Vighnaharta Ganesh
Ganesh Chaturthi is going to start on September 2, 2019 and end on September 12, 2019.

ॐ गं गणपतये नमो नम: श्री सिध्धीविनायक नमो नम:
अष्टविनायक नमो नम: गणपती बाप्पा मोरया

The very chanting of this Ganesh mantra enraptures our minds and souls, and fills us with positivity and righteousness. With Ganesh Chaturthi just around the corner, the devotees of our beloved Ganesha have begun the festival’s preparations in full swing. This splendid gala celebrates the birth of our beloved Lord Ganesha, well-known for his powers and strengths to eradicate obstacles and bring good fortune. The festival is observed by the Indian devotees living across the world with great devotion. The groundwork for this religious festival begins in advance in every Indian household. The onset of this 11-day extravaganza observes magnificent celebrations accompanied by a thorough execution of traditional ceremonies, chanting of devotional songs, passionate dancing on the streets, procession of drum players, bursting of crackers and loud cheering of “Ganpati Bappa Moriya”.

When to Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi 2019 this year in India?

India is going to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi on September 2 this year. The festival is observed on Shukla Chaturthi, the 4th day of the full moon period in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada and ends on the 14th day of the full moon period known as Anant Chaturdashi.

Ganesh Chaturthi Puja Muhurat 2019

Day: September 02, 2019

Time for Madhyahna Puja: 11:05 am to 1:36 pm

Chathurthi tithi begins (September 2): 4:56 am

Chathurthi tithi ends (September 3): 1:53 am

Moon sighting to be avoided: 8:54 am-9:03 pm

Visarjan Anant Chaturdashi: September 12

The Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi

According to Hindu Luni-Solar calendar, the homecoming of Lord Ganesha is celebrated in the month of Bhadrapada. Lord Ganesha is known by many names like Ganpati, Vinayak and Vighnaharta, Sidhi Vinayaka, Dhoomraketu, Ekdanta, Vakratunda, Gajanana, Sankat Mochan, and many more. No puja or work is said to be complete until we pray to Lord Ganesha at the very beginning and seek his blessings. He is the Hindu deity who is worshipped by everyone in all circumstances, be it a hurdle in anybody’s life, the inauguration of a new home, or the launch of a new business venture. Our Ganpati Bappa deals with the most complicated and difficult issues with utter ease and strength, and wards off all evils.

There are a lot of stories associated with the birth of Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha was born to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati as their second son under unusual circumstances. The legends say that Goddess Parvati created Ganesha out of the mud by giving his body the shape of a boy. As Lord Shiva was off on a meditative odyssey, Goddess Parvati ordered Ganesha to guard the entrance while she bathed. Lord Shiva returned and found Ganesha guarding the door of the sanctum. When he refused to let Lord Shiva enter the sanctum, Lord Shiva got angry on him and lopped off his head. Goddess Parvati, on hearing the commotion, ran to the incident site and found her son beheaded. On seeing his wife in distress, the repentant Shiva promised to get her son back alive and ordered for a new head for the boy. Later, the head of Lord Ganesha was replaced with the head of an elephant. On gaining a new head, Ganesha became the most unique of all the Hindu gods. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated to honor our much loved Hindu God, Lord Ganesha, who left Mount Kailash to be with his followers for these ten days.

What Rituals are Performed?

There are four main rituals observed during the festival. They are as follows:

Pranapratishhtha

It is the process of invoking the holy presence of the deity into an idol by reciting a number of mantras.

Shhodashopachara

This ritual consists of 16 forms of paying tribute to Ganesha like the offering of sweets, jaggery, coins, coconut, flowers, and rice. The idol is also worshipped with red Chandan powder.

Uttarpuja

This is the last puja performed by the devotees before the Ganpati Visarjan.

Ganpati Visarjan

Immersion of the idol in the river.

How is Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrated in India?

The 11-day long festival, Ganesh Chaturthi, is celebrated with much enthusiasm in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Karnataka. The festival is marked with the placing of Ganesha idols in homes, or publicly on elaborate pandals. The preparations of this festival by the devotees begin with the cleaning of their houses and welcoming Lord Ganesha in their homes with all the warmth and devotion. A special place is given to the Lord in the homes of the devotees who worship him by presenting flowers and delicious sweets. Modak, a traditional sweet dish made with rice flour stuffed with grated jaggery, coconuts, and dry fruits, is distributed as Prashad on this festival. The plate presented to the deity must contain 21 pieces of modak.

The states of Maharashtra and Karnataka get decked up with enormous Ganesh pandals, beautiful idols of Lord Ganesha made with clay. Craftsmen and sculptors from all over the country get into the working mode of sculpting Lord Ganesha idols much before the main festival. Devotees sing, dance and take rejoice in folk tunes. On the eleventh day of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, these idols are carried by the devotees amidst huge processions to the nearby rives ghats or sea to immerse them in the water bodies. During the visarjan, people also throw colours at each other. Both the welcoming and farewell of Lord Ganesha are followed by tremendous enthusiasm.

Though Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated all over India with a similar feeling of vigor and joy, it is observed as the most significant festival in the states of Maharashtra, Ahmedabad, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. India is a land of diversity and fellow Indians are united by their unique traditions and customs which bind them into one.

Maharashtra: Ganesh Chaturthi is the most common festival celebrated in every Indian household of Maharashtra with great devotion and allegiance. The festival is celebrated all over the state on a grand scale. The roads in the state get crowded by the devotees. The small idols of Ganesha are placed in every household which is worshipped with utmost devotion for these ten days. Enormous pandals for the occasion are set up all over Maharashtra where the life-like idol of the Lord Ganesha is installed on a high platform. In some places, fairs and exhibitions are also organized adding more to the celebrations. Folk dance and music performances, poetry competitions, theatre and film festivals are also a memorable part of this festival. The eleventh day is the final day of the Ganpati Visarjan, on which the idol is carried by a huge procession of devotees to the nearby water body for its immersion. While on the way, the devotees sing devotional songs, throw colored powder on each other shouting out the slogan “Ganpati Bappa Moriya”.

Karnataka: Karnataka celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi in different ritualistic fashions. The devotees offer prayers to Gauri, the mother of the Lord, on this festival. The married women offer prayers to Gauri to seek Her blessings for a long and content filled married life. This festival is observed in various temples of Karnataka, where Lord Ganesh and His mother Gauri are worshipped together.

Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad also celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi with great excitement and passion. For all the eleven days, prayers are offered by the devotees to the lord of wisdom. He is worshipped everywhere, whether in small temples or be it in large pandals. On the day of visarjan, idols are immersed in river Sabarmati and Kankaria Lake. This event is marked by fireworks accompanied by devotional songs.

Rajasthan: Ganesh Chathurti is also celebrated in each and every household of Rajasthan. The devotees immerse the statue of the Lord Ganesha in red kumkum and decorate it with the garland of red flowers. Idols are then installed at the entrances of every household. A small ‘thaal’ with kumkum and haldi is also placed at the entrance in front of the idol for the visiting guests. They can take a pinch of each and put it on their foreheads and throat, which is believed to bring in good luck. Ladoos are distributed as prashad amongst relatives and friends.
Lord Ganesha is also worshiped in other countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Nepal, and China.

Why are the Ganesh Statues Immersed in Water at the End of the Festival?

We worship idols of our gods because they give a physical form to our religious beliefs. According to Hindu mythology and ideology, the body is prone to destruction but the spirit is immortal. The immersion of the statues in the ocean, or other water bodies, and the successive destruction of them serves as a reminder of this belief.

Related Links:

Ganapati Bappa Morya- Ganesh Chathurthi

Five Famous Ganesha Temples in India

Best Devotional Ganesha Songs From Bollywood