What is Ganesh Mahotsav and the reason behind its celebration?

To honor the elephant-headed God Ganesh’s birthday, Ganesh Mahotsav is celebrated as a ten-day Hindu festival. Lord Ganesh is the younger son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

Ganesh is considered as the Lord of arts and sciences and the god of wisdom and there are 108 different names by which Lord Ganesh is known. As he’s considered the God of beginnings, he is honored at the start of rituals and ceremonies. The most common name of Lord Ganesh is Ganapati or Vinayaka.

Ganesh’s birth has two different versions. The first one is that Goddess Parvati created Ganesh out of the dirt while having a bath off her body and sent him to guard her door while she finishes her bath. Shiva who was not at that place returned at that moment, but as Ganesh was completely unaware of him, stopped him from entering. After a combat between the two, Ganesh head was Severed by an angry Shiva. Shiva promised Parvati Ganesh will live again as Parvati was enraged. Shiva sent out devas in search of a head facing north of a dead person and they could only manage the head of an elephant. Ganesh was brought back to life by Shiva by fixing the elephant’s head on him.

The other version states that Ganesh was created by Shiva and Parvati after much of a request from the Devas, to be a vighnakartaa in the path of rakshasas and a vighnahartaa to help the Devas.

In 2018, September 17^th marks the beginning of this festival which is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi. Here are some amazing facts about Ganesh Mahotsav:

• ·        The start of the festival begins on Shukla Chaturthi which is also the fourth day of the waxing moon period and the festival ends on the 14^th day of the waxing moon period which is known as Anant Chaturdashi.
• ·         Ganesh Mahotsav Celebration is done on the grand scale in the state of Maharashtra.
• ·         During the festival, Lord Ganesh is worshipped for ten days in the colorful pandals which are set up.
• ·         The festival includes four main rituals, Pranapratishhtha – the process of infusing the deity into a murti or idol, Shhodashopachara- 16 forms of paying tribute to Lord Ganesh, Uttarpuja- Worship after which the idol could be shifted after it’s infusion and Ganpati Visarjan- Idol immersion in the river.
• ·         During the festival, Modak a sweet dish is prepared using rice or flour which are stuffed with grated jaggery, coconuts, and dry fruits. The plate containing the Modak should be filled with twenty-one pieces of the sweet.
• ·         Ganesh Mahotsav was celebrated as a public event since the time of Maratha King Shivaji but publicly Ganesh Idol was first installed by Bhausaheb Laxman Javale.
• ·          Later Lokmanya Tilak changed the festival from a private celebration to a grand public event.
• ·         Worshipping of Lord Ganesh is also done in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Nepal, and China.
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The Meaning of “Ganpati Bappa Morya”:

Morya is changed version of mor+ yaa Which is again changed from samor+yaa Samor= in front of someone And yaa=come That means morya=samor yaa= to be in front ( of us) = guide us.

So, the right meaning of Ganpati Bappa Morya is Lord Ganesh guide us in difficult times.

Reference: DIDM News & Events