By Prionka Jha

Over the centuries, Ganesh Chaturthi, which was just a family affair, has gained the status of being a social festival. Thanks to the efforts of the freedom fighter Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. This festival, which is dedicated to the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, Ganesh, has gained so much popularity that the preparations for the festivities begin at least a fortnight before. Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day festival celebrated all over India with great fervour but has greatest prominence in Maharashtra. It is celebrated from the fourth to the fourteenth day of Bhadrapad (sixth month in the Hindu calendar). The festival begins on Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi and continues for ten days till Ananta Chaturdashi. Exhilarated cries of Ganapati Bappa Morya, songs dedicated to Lord Ganesha, decorated pandals and huge processions of devotees characterize the celebrations of the festival. This day is very important to all Hindus, who believe that by praying to Lord Ganesh (also known as Vigneshwar or remover of obstructions) they will not have face any obstacles in their lives. Legends

The most popular belief is based on a story in Skanda Purana. Once Lord Ganesha was invited to a feast in Swaragalok. The God known for his ravenous appetite, stuffed himself with laddoos. When he got up to walk after the meal, he could not balance because of his huge stomach and stumbled. As he fell, the stomach burst and all the laddoos came rolling out. The moon could not contain himself and began laughing. Enraged, Ganesha cursed the moon, causing him to vanish from the universe. However, because of the moon’s absence the whole world began to wane. So the gods asked Shiva to persuade Lord Ganesha to relent. The repentant moon also apologised for his misbehaviour. On Shiva’s intervention, Ganesha modified his curse. He announced that the moon be invisible on only one day of a month, and would be partially seen for most part. It would however, be visible in its full glory only once a month as well. Since the incident occurred on the fourth day of Bhadrapad, he also added that anyone who looked at the moon on the fourth day of any month, especially Bhadrapad, would be falsely accused of some wrong-doing. The fourth day of Bhadrapad is also known as Dagadi Chautha, or ‘stone-throwing fourth day’, in some places, stemming from the belief that if one inadvertently sees the moon on that night, one should throw stones on his neighbour’s roof to avert any calamity arising from the curse. According to another legend, from Shiva Purana, Goddess Parvati wanted someone to keep vigil while she could peacefully take a bath. Her imagination took shape of Lord Ganesha and she fashioned Lord Ganesha out of clay. Goddess Parvati gave Ganesha strict orders. Everything was fine until Lord Shiva returned home. Ganesha prevented Lord Shiva from entering the chambers. Lord Shiva could not sustain his anger but Ganesha was undeterred. Lord Shiva was furious, he sent his whole army against Ganesha, but to his surprise, the army was no match for Lord Ganesha. By this time, Lord Shiva was really angry and in a single stroke he cut off Ganesha’s head. Now when Parvati came after ablutions, she was devastated when she saw Ganesha lying in a pool of blood. She refused to be appeased until Shiva brought him back to life. At a loss about what to do, Shiva hurriedly put the head of an elephant in place of the Ganesha’s severed head and restored him back to life. Another legend from the Brahma Vivarthana explains why Lord Ganesha has the elephant head. It is believed that Goddess Parvati observed Punyaka Vrata of Lord Vishnu, as she wanted a son. She was given the boon that Lord Krishna would incarnate as her son. And soon after Goddess Parvati gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. It was time for festivities in heaven. All the gods were invited to be a part of the celebration. But to everyone’s surprise, Shani Dev refused to even see the newly born. On noticing this, Goddess Parvati questioned his behaviour. To which Shani Dev replied that his seeing would bring harm to the child. But as Goddess Parvati insisted, Shani could not refuse. But as soon as he turned his face to see the baby boy, the child’s head was severed from the body. Goddess Parvati was overwhelmed with grief. The Gods didn’t know what to do. But Lord Vishnu the preserver came to her rescue. He brought the head of an elephant and joined to the baby’s body and thus Ganesha was brought back to life again. Celebrations

The fervour and gusto to celebrate this festival is unparalleled. Exhilarated and jubilant devotees dance to the charged beats of the drums. Richly adorned statues of Lord Ganesha are brought to the pandals in royally decorated palanquins. Devotees indulge in lezam and acrobatics, which are two most popular performances during these ten days. Men, women and children dress-up in their fineries and decorate the entrance specially with colourful rangolis and flowers. Before the ten-day rite begins, the house and devotees must acquire a superlative state of purity. This is accomplished by cleaning or whitewashing the house at least the place where the idol is to be placed. Rituals
The day starts early for the devotees with the idol of Ganesh being ceremonially installed. According to an age-old practice, the idol of Lord Ganesha is brought covered with a cloth. The lady of the house performs the aarti before bringing the Lord Ganesha inside. Lord Ganesha is then installed in a well-decorated pandal that is followed by holy chants and songs dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The ladies busy themselves in the preparation of the delicacies known to be Lord Ganesha’s favourite. Evening time is a time to rejoice. After the bhog (distribution of prasad), devotees indulge in leisure activities like games and singing songs. Puja is carried out in morning and evening. The puja begins at the time designated according to calculations based on ritual calendar. The worshipper then sips holy water and performs salutations; he then blows the conch shell before Ganesha and other deities. Following which the Sankalp mantra is recited. The priest then performs a ritual by which the idol is said to be imbued with life. Next follows the traditional puja. 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, offering of flowers and incense and lamps.
The tenth day is the final day when the devotees bid adieu to Lord Ganesha with the hope that he will be back next year. Echoes and cries of Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudchya varshi lavkarya or beloved Ganesha come again early next year marks the procession of carrying the idols and finally immersing it into the water. Final gifts of coconut, flowers and burning camphor cubes are offered to the idol, accompanied by the singing of aartis. The devotees wait till the images are barely visible, till the images lose themselves in the depth of the waters. The message behind the ceremony is that everything that comes has to go but yet there is hope of a better tomorrow. The festival symbolises perennial cycle of life.