Ganesh Chaturthi 2018 date – Information - Story - Pooja
Time for Ganpati Festival in 2018
Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Ganeshotsav or Vinayaka
Chaturthi, is the birthday of Hindu God Ganesha (Vinayaka - Ganpati), the God
of wisdom, prosperity, and auspiciousness. Ganesh Chaturthi 2018 date is
Thursday, September 13 - information based on Hindu calendar in India. Ganpati
Festival in 2018 ends with the immersion (Visarjan) of the murti (idol) on
Ananta Chaturdasi day - September 23, 2018. Good puja time is from 11:05 AM to
1:31 PM. Ganesha is today worshiped around the world and the Elephant-faced
Hindu god is one of the most popular deities associated with Hinduism. Like
symbol ‘Om’, Ganesha is slowly becoming the face of Hindu religion. This is a
pan India festival and is observed in all regions.
When is Ganesh Chaturthi Observed?
Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day after new moon in
the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August - September). Bhadrapad Shukla Paksha
Chaturthi or the fourth day during the waxing phase of moon in Hindu Calendar.
Why is it observed?
It is the birthday of Ganesha. Vighnaharta, one among the
108 names of Ganesha, appeared on earth to remove the obstacles of devotees. He
is invoked before any puja or prayer in Hinduism. He is the lord of beginnings.
Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi
A few years back an article on Ganesh Chaturthi might have
mentioned Vinayaka as the most popular god in India or might have restricted
him within Hinduism. But today, Ganesha is a popular symbol around the world.
Slowly and steadily, Ganesha is breaking all religious and national boundaries
and is finding a space in many living rooms around the world.
Ganesha breaks that invisible distance which exists between
man and god. Children can play with him, teenagers can discuss their problems,
and elders can find answers to philosophical questions. Hindu mythology is full
of stories related to Ganesha. Devotees and admirers of Ganesha might not be
aware of these myths but the image of Ganesha connects with them immediately
and is reminded of a Supreme Soul.
Perhaps, Ganesha is the cutest god in the world. People
might debate this statement but nobody can ignore the unique figure of Ganesha.
The figure represents hope in adversity. Ganesha provides the strength to
overcome obstacles. And due to this aspect he is called ‘Vigneshwara.’ He is
worshiped first in all prayers. Ganesha’s names are repeated first before any
auspicious work is begun.
When a devotee stands before Ganesha, the devotee’s ego
disappears and is transformed into a child. In that innocent state, one will
realize that the elephant head of Ganesha symbolically represents ‘om’ – the
first mantra and the primordial sound.
Story of Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesha is the remover of obstacle - Vighneshwara or
Vignaraja – and is always invoked when Hindus are beginning a new enterprise.
It is believed that Goddess Parvati created Ganesha out of
clay and breathed life into him. Letting him stand guard at the door, Goddess
Parvati went to have her bath.
When her husband, Lord Shiva returned, the child who had
never seen him stopped him.
Ganesha did not allow Shiva to enter and finally, an enraged
Shiva severed the head of the child.
Goddess Parvati returned to find her son dead and was
distraught and asked Shiva to revive him. Shiva cut off the head of an elephant
and fixed it on the body of Ganesha and giving birth to elephant-headed
Ganesha.
How Long is Ganesh Chaturthi Festival?
In Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Ganesh Chaturthi is
celebrated for 10 days. In other parts of India, it is celebrated for one day
on the Ganesh Chaturthi day. On the day special prayers are performed in all
Hindu homes and hymns and songs are sung in praise of Lord Ganesha.
Who Started Ganesh Chaturthi Festival?
The large scale public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi
Festival was started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1893 in Pune.
The origin of the public celebration of Ganesh festival is
traced to the period of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja, the great Maratha ruler,
who asked people to perform public celebration to promote culture and
nationalism in the 17th century.
The large-scale Ganesh festival as we see today was revived
by Lokmanya Tilak, freedom fighter, in the last decade of 19th century in Pune
to spread the message of freedom struggle and to defy the British who had
banned public assemblies.
Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav - Public Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival
Thousands of Ganesh statues are installed in various public
places in India and in Hindu Temples around the world. Millions of small Ganesh
idols are installed in Hindu homes in India, especially in Maharashtra, Goa and
Andhra Pradesh. After the festival, these statues are immersed in the sea
(Ganesh Visarjan ceremony).
Some of the idols of Ganesha prepared during the Sarvajanik
Ganesh Utsav can reach a height of more than 70 - feet.
The richest Ganesh Chaturthi Pandals are located in Mumbai.
Their budgets run in millions.
During the 10-day festival, millions of devotees throng
pandals across major cities in India especially in Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Nagpur
and Hyderabad.
Some of the popular Ganapati Mandals are:
Lalbaugcha Raja – Mumbai
Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) Seva Mandal at King’s Circle –
Mumbai
Keshavji Naik Chawl pandal in Girgaum – Mumbai (oldest
mandal in Mumbai)
Dagdusheth Ganpati – Pune
Khairatabad Ganapati – Hyderabad – Secunderabad
Modak - Delicacy Prepared During Festival
Ukadiche modak, or steamed rice ball in a unique shape, made
of rice flour and stuffed with coconut, jaggery, and cardamom is a special
delicacy made during the period.
Other delicacies include Puran poli and Chakkali.
But the most important delicacy is modak as it is the
favorite food of Ganesha.
Today, modaks made of dry fruits and numerous other rare
fruits are available in the market.
Ganesh Chaturthi and Environmental Concern
Ganesh Festival is also attracting a lot of criticism from
environmentalists and nature lovers primarily due to pollution caused by the
use of Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (POP). Hinduism and Nature are so
entwined that one cannot be separated from another. Ganesha itself is a classic
example. But still, we Hindus do little to stop pollution. At least we can stop
creating more pollution in the name of Ganesha by only buying natural Ganesh
idol and natural items for Ganesh Puja.
Buy Natural Clay Ganesh Murti painted with natural colors.
Use only natural materials during Ganpati Puja.
Spread the importance of Clay Ganpati.
Do Ganesh Visarjan at Home.
Create awareness and indulge in cleaning public places
polluted due to Ganpati festival and Visarjan.
Visarjan - Ganpati Bappa Moraya – Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya
The symbolic meaning of Ganesh Chaturthi festival is that
Lord Ganesha comes and stays with us. The immersion symbolizes his return from
the earth after removing the obstacles and unhappiness of his devotees.
Some families perform the ceremony on the very next day. It
is believed that Ganesha comes and stays in the idol for a day and returns the next
day.
There are other families which perform the Ganesh immersion
or Visarjan on the 1.5 days, 3rd, 5th, 7th or the 10th day.
In Maharashtra, Ganesha is also bid adieu along with Jyeshta
Gauri (5th day)
Today, many people choose the least crowded day to immerse
the Ganesh idol.
Those who opt for an eco-friendly Ganesh immersion, do it in
a bucket or a tank. In Mumbai, artificial lakes are created to avoid water
pollution. This year the governments and NGOs are running a strong campaign for
the use of eco-friendly Ganesh idols.
For public pandals, it is a 10-day festival and ends on
Anant Chaturdashi - the fourteenth day during the waxing phase of moon in
Bhadrapad Month.
The procession can last for more than 24 hours.
The murti is taken to sea, lake or river for immersion.
The air is filled with the chant of Ganpati Bappa Moraya –
Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya – come back soon next year
