Significance and importance of Ganesh Chathurthi
Posted on: 15/Aug/2017 3:55:44 PM
Across India, the festival of Ganesh Chathurthi is celebrated with great joy and devotion. The Ganesha idols are worshiped on this special day. It is believed that lord Ganesha comes down to the earth and bless all his devotees. Here are the significance of the special day. Read on.
Hindus across the world celebrate this day as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. He is the eldest son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. The festival is called by other names like Vinayak Chaturthi or Vinayak Chavithi. This festival usually falls between the mid of August and mid of September, during the Bhadra month of Hindu calendar.
Significance of the celebration:
People celebrate this day with enormous enjoyment and enthusiasm. Particularly, in western India, and that too in Maharashtra, people are seen with full vigor and liveliness. The festival in fact lasts for 10 long days where Ganesha deity is placed on all the days and common people worship the lord.
Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj kick-started the practice of worshiping lord Ganesh. This was a practice of non-community affair then.
Coming on to Lord Ganesha, he is a god with elephant head. He is the first and foremost god and worshipped as the very first before worshiping any other god in any Hindu temple. Before commencing any auspicious activity, or task, Lord Ganesha is worshiped with the belief that he will bring all the prosperity and victory in the job taken in hand.
Image or idol of Lord Ganesha are in fact etched on doors with the belief that positive vibrations would enter the home. You may also observe the lords face being etched or printed on wedding or housewarming or other invitation cards with the belief that the lord will shower his blessings for the occasion.
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations:
A clay model of lord Ganesha is worshiped throughout all these 10 days. The idol size may be of any size between Ύ inch to 25 feet. At houses, companies or even public places, the idols are placed on elevated platforms exclusively raised for the eve. Not just the rich, even those who are from the poor or lower income category do not fail to buy the clay idol and worship the lord on this day.
Those willing to pay homage to the lord can visit the outdoor tents erected for the festival. Here, there are exclusive prayers and offerings for the lord by priests who are seen in red silk dhoti and shawl. People are offered with Prasad in these tents.
