Ganesh or Vinayaka Chaturthi is dedicated to Lord Ganesh (son of Shiva), the elephant -headed god of all good beginnings and success. The festival celebrated as the birth day of Lord Ganesha, is a ten day long event held annually in India especially with great fervor in Maharashtra. It falls on the fourth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Bhadhrapada (August -September).

Ganapati an important deity of the Hindus,has different names and manifestations.

He is the God of knowledge, wisdom and the ‘remover of Obstacles’ (‘Vignaharta’) hence called ‘Vigneswar’. He is invoked at the beginning of every major venture.

On the occasion of the Ganapati festival, large number of images are made of clay or metal in all possible sizes sometimes even up to twenty feet. People buy them and install them in their houses and worship for one and a half, five, seven, or ten days (Ananda Chaturdashi), after which the images are taken out ceremoniously, carried in a procession through the streets of the towns, especially in Maharashtra and immersed into the river, sea or well for immersion or ‘Visarjan’. People chant ‘Ganpati bappa Morya, Pudchya Varshi Lvkar Ya’ Father Ganpati, Come again soon next year’) while immersing. The idol should not be kept after this day, as it is considered inauspicious. The sea front at Mumbai, packed with people, is a spectacular sight.

Aarthis are performed everyday and kumkum thrown over the seated Ganesh idol when it is kept at home. It is customary to make ‘Naivedya’ or offerings of twenty one blades of grass Kewra (pandanus buds) a lotus flower, fruits and sweets, specially twenty one pieces of ‘modaks’ made of rice flour and filled with jaggery; before him. After the ritual worship it is distributed as ‘Prasad’ (sacred food) to everyone present.

Although Ganesh worship was performed from time immemorial it was Lok Manya Bal Gangadhar Tilak who was responsible for making Ganesh utsav into a public celebration. A cultural feast is held to coincide with Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra especially at Pune. Classical dance, music performances, poetry recitations, folk dances, theatre and film festival are the main features of this festival.

STORY OF LORD GANESH AND THE LEGEND BEHIND THE FESTIVAL !!
Legend behind the origin of Ganesh:
In Shiv purana it is said that Ganesh was the creation of Goddess Parvati, who breathed life into an image made of clay. She placed the image outside the door while she was bathing and ordered him not to allow anyone to enter. Then her husband Lord Shiva arrived and was refused admission by the doorkeeper. Shiva became furious and severed the head of the idol. Parvathi was very upset over the incident as she considered the idol as her son (manas putra). To make amends Shiva ordered his servant to go and bring the head of the first living being he would meet. The servant saw an elephant, and he at once cut his head and took it to Shiva. Shiva joined the elephant’s head to the body of Parvati’s son. Thus Ganapathi came in to being.

Ganapathi’s mount is a mouse and he has a snake tied around his belly. His origin has a philosophical aspect to it. The whole cosmos is
compared to the belly of God. Shakti Parvati is the primordial energy. The seven worlds above,seven worlds (lokas) below and the seven oceans are inside the cosmic belly of Ganesha, held together by the cosmic energy kundalini symbolized as the huge snake which Ganesha ties around him. The mouse is nothing but our ego. Ganesha, using the mouse as a vehicle, exemplifies the need to control our ego. One who has controlled the ego is believed to have Ganesha consciousness or God-consciousness.

Ganesh Rituals in the Cities of India.

The preparation of the festival begins much before the ten-day rite. Houses are cleaned and even white washing or painting is done. Especially the place where the idol will be kept are cleaned and decorated several days before the festival. Newly molded idols of Ganesha are bought from the shops, which are there only for the festival purpose. The idols are carried with their faces covered with a saffron cloth amidst chanting and the sound of cymbals. In the evening it is placed properly at the place where the puja will be held. The priest then performs a ritual by which the idol, is said to be imbued with life. Next follows the traditional puja. Worshippers bathe and the priest wears a silken lower garment, usually red, with a shawl around his shoulders. On this day every household in Maharashtra installs a small clay murti of Ganeshji in their homes. He is offered pujan and prasad until Sud 14 – Anant Chaturthi.

In Gujarat and in the Swaminarayan mandirs a clay or plaster of paris murti of Ganesh is installed on Ganesh Chaturthi and worshiped for ten days. The murti is submerged on ‘Parivartini’ i.e. ‘Jal Zilani’ Ekadashi. Devotees observe a waterless fast. The traditional prasad offered to Lord Ganeshji are chopped cucumbers and ‘ladus’ – sweet balls of wheat flour, ghee and sugar. Five pujas and arti are offered, together with a boat ride after each arti before Ganeshji’s ‘Visarjan’ – submergence. In this manner Ganesh is a deity of auspiciousness, wisdom and wealth. Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival inspiring devotees to inculcate redemptive virtues in their lives. The puja begins according to the time mentioned on the ritual calendar. The ceremony begins by placing the image, usually made of terracotta, in a sacred arena, symbolic of a throne. The worshipper then sips holy water and performs pranayama; he then bows and prostrates before Ganesha and all the other gods. The Ganapati Aarti and the Atharvashirdha (devotional chanting) are sung to the accompaniment of cymbals, bells and rhythmic clapping. The modak, a sweetmeat of rice-flour and sweetened coconut, are offered to the deity along with flowers. This completes the rituals of the first day. For the remaining days, the image is worshipped, morning and evening, with simple recitations of the Ganesha Stuti, devotional songs, offerings of flowers and incense, and lamps. The event is now the celebration of all community where everyone participates.

IMMERSION CEREMONY

During the immersion ceremony huge crowds move in a procession carrying idols of Ganesha towards the Chowpatty beach where the idols are emerged. These processions, starts in the afternoon and continue till late night. Although this festival is observed in all parts of the country, it is celebrated in big way in Maharashtra where it is celebrated both publicly and privately. Apart from celebrations at home, there are also many public celebrations called Sarvajanik Ganeshotsava. These are community pujas held by building pandals. Maharashtra is the most happening place to be during the time of this festival. Besides Maharashtra, Tamilnadu is another place where the festival is celebrated with great festivity and zeal. Lord Ganesha is worshiped in the temples as well as at each and every home accompanied by the preparation of ‘modak,’ a sweet supposed to be the favorite of Lord Ganesha. Orissa and Pune are also famous for their celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It is a celebration where people from each and every community participate with excitement and joy. During this ten days of the festival Maharashtra has a new look altogether it is the best time to visit the place. It portrays the true culture and tradition of the Indian beliefs.

The Dagduseth Halwai Ganpati one of the oldest Ganpati temples in the country

Established in the year 1893, the temple boasts of a rich history of more than 100 years. The temple is located close to Shaniwarwada in the heart of Pune city.

The Dagduseth Halwai Ganpati is one of the oldest Ganpati temples in the country. Established in the year 1893, the temple boasts of a rich history of more than 100 years. The temple is located close to Shaniwarwada in the heart of Pune city.

A halwai or sweetmaker called Dagdusheth is credited for constructing this temple. It is believed that he lost his son in a plague outbreak which plunged him and his wife in a state of depression. To bring him out of this state, his Guru advised him to make idols of Lord Ganesha and Shree Datta Maharaj and take care of them like he would father his son. It was then that the very first idol of Ganesha was made.

Looking at his dedication, one of Dagdusheth’s good friends, Lokmanya Balgandharva Tilak- associated with the independence movement in the late 1800s, came up with the idea of transforming Ganesh Chaturthi into a public festival. The main ideology behind this decision was to bring the people together and unite them against the British. In this way this festival came to be celebrated at a community level every year rather than being restricted to a household affair.

The simple construction of the temple allows the devotees to catch a glimpse of the Ganesh idol even from outside the temple. As the temple is visited by hundreds of devotees on a daily basis, this simple yet beautiful architectural design of the temple helps people watch the daily proceedings like the aarti and the pooja from well outside the entrance of the temple.

The idol of Ganesha is undoubtedly the highlight of the temple which is adorned with gold and precious jewellery which have been offered to the Elephant God by the devotees as a token of their love and affection. The idol has a solid gold ear and is decorated with nearly 8 kilos of gold. It is believed that the idol is insured for an astonishing sum of Rs. 1 crore.

Pooja is performed twice everyday and people visit the temple in large numbers to pray. Heaps of coconuts are offered to the Hindu God on a daily basis. Especially during the Ganesh Chaturthi the demand of coconut reaches nearly five lakhs per day.
The temple is well maintained by the Shrimant Dagadusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust which also does a lot of philanthropic work from the donations it receives. The trust opened an old age home called Pitashree in 2003 in Pune which also provides housing and education to 40 underprivileged kids.

It’s best to visit the temple during the morning hours because of less traffic. But there is no escaping the crowd if you wish to pay your homage to Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi festival when thousands of people from all over India flock down to the city to catch a glimpse of their favorite Ganesh idol.

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