Ganesh Chaturthi-Significance, Celebration and Origin

Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10 days celebration which honors and worships the elephant headed deity, Ganesha.

Ganesha is the youngest son of lord Shiva and Parvati. According to mythological stories he has got the blessings of being worshiped before all the God during Pooja. Due to this, every pooja or ritual begins with the prayer of Ganesha.

What is Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi?

The day of Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi plays a very important role in the life of devotees. People bring an idol of Ganesh to their home and worship it for 10 days. People do it publicly also and place the idols in pandals for 10 days.

Ganesh Chaturthi comes in “Bhadrapad” month of Hindu calender which comes in the month of August or September. Devotees worship the lord with ladoos which is his favorite sweets, Aarti and in many ways. They chant Ganesha hymns and Aarti.

Ganesha is a friendly lord and it’s a belief that he comes for the rescue immediately when someone remembers him in difficulties.

Origin of Ganesha Chaturthi Celebrations

It is still unknown when and how the Ganesh Chaturthi festival was first celebrated. But it is believed that the culture of Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated publicly during the reigning era of Chatrapati Shivaji during(1630-1680). Shivaji was the founder of Maratha empire. But during the British empowerment in India, the festival lost its public celebration and people would celebrate it as public festival.

Later, social reformer and freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak reformed and made it again a public celebrations.

But many people believe Bhausaheb Laxman Java was the first who installed the idol of lord Ganesha publicly on the year 1892, which Lokmanya Tilak also appraised in his daily newspaper, “Kesari”. Bhausaheb organized the sarvajank Ganesh Utsav attended by lot of people.

There may be many stories or beliefs behind who started Ganesh Chaturthi celebration but there is no doubt that lord Ganesha is seen as the bridge filling gap between brahmins and non-brahmins. He gears the problems and people have witnessed the miracles also.