Ganesh Chaturthu Celebrations

Journalist Priya Ranchod writes from India about the significance of Ganesh Chaturthi …

 

THE Hindu community around the world celebrates GANESH Chaturthi annually in the month of September, which is a 10 – day festival.

 

In India, three quarter of the shops, business, all schools and colleges are closed and throughout the day pooja’s (prayer) takes place.

 

A week before the festival, people start decorating the streets, temples you spot beautiful designs on the floor and Lord Ganesha is all dressed up before pooja begins.

For the past 24 years in Sarvagna MitranVrundhu, 9^th Block Jayanagar they have been celebrating Ganesha Chaturthi.

But during the preparation, people make a clay mould of Lord Ganesha in different sizers and sell it to the community who on Ganesha Chaturthi perform pooja on the clay

 

Ganesha Chaturti started when Lord Shiva went to the Himalaya’s for mediation and after years he returns to Kaila.

 

His wife Maa Parvati was alone for years so she created a murti (statue) named Ganesha, which she gave life to and while all this was taking place Lord Shiva was clueless what was happening back home.

And one day as normal Maa Parvati went for a bath an

d told Lord Ganesha to watch the door and not to allow anyone to enter and when Lord Shiva returned, Ganesha refused to let him enter.

Both Lord Shiva and Ganesha got into a fight. Shiva chopped Ganesha’s head off and Maa Parvati came out crying.

 

Maa Parvati was so angry that she transformed into Kali Maa.

However, Lord Shiva could only bring back Ganesha to life by another head.

So He asked Lord Vishnu to go onto the forest and bring anyone’s head.

And Lord Vishnu returned with an elephant back to Kailash.

Thereafter Lord Shiva placed the head on Ganesha’s body and he was alive again but this time he did not have a beautiful face. Looking at Lord Ganesha, Maa Parvati cried again and asked who will pray to Him?

So Lord Shiva then gave the boon to Lord Ganesha that when ever there will be any prayer conducted, they must pray first to Lord Ganesh.

If they do not then nobody’s prayers will be fulfilled. Since then Ganesha Chaturthi has

been performed.