Ganesh Chaturthi

By :Trivikram

Of Gautami Vidya

Dhamam School

Ganesh ChaturthiIntroduction :Hindu festival celebrated on occasion of birthday of Lord Ganesha .Bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees.Widely worshipped as the god of wisdom , prosperity and good fortune.Traditionally invoked at beginning of any new venture.Lord ganesh is ramembered on ganesh chaturthi . Ganesh chaturthi is a nine-day celebration.

History:

It is not known when and how Ganesh Chaturthi was first celebrated. Ganesh Chaturthi was being celebrated as a public event in Pune since the times of Shivaji .With the fall of the Peshwas, Ganesh Chaturthi lost state patronage and became a private family celebration. Indian freedom fighter and social reformer Lokmanya Tilak introduced a new way of celebrating Ganesh chaturthi

Legend :

Traditional Ganesha Hindu stories tell that Lord Ganesha,son of goddess Parvati consort of Shiva . Parvati created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. Lord Shiva, who had gone out, returned and as Ganesha didn't know him, didn't allow him to enter. Lord Shiva became enraged by this and asked his follower Ganas to teach the child some manners. Ganesha who was very powerful, being born of Parvati, the embodiment of Shakti, defeated Shiva's followers and declared that nobody was allowed to enter while his mother was bathing.

The sage of heavens, narada along with the Saptarishis sensed the growing turmoil and went to appease the boy with no results. Angered, the king of Gods, Indra attacked the boy with his entire heavenly army but even they didn't stand a chance. By then, this issue had become a matter of pride for Parvati and Shiva. Angry Shiva severed the head of the child. Parvati seeing this became enraged. Seeing Parvati in anger Shiva promised that her son will be alive again. The devas searched for the head of dead person facing North, but they found only the head of a dead elephant. They brought the head of the elephant and Shiva fixed it on the child's body and brought him back to life. Lord Shiva also declared that from this day the boy would be called Ganesha

Date:

The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi, the fourth lunar day of the waxing moon fortnight.The date usually falls between 20 August and 20 September. The festival lasts for 10 to 12 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi.

Where ganeshostav celebrated:

Ganesh chaturthi is celebrated in various areas of India .Mostly celebrated in Maharashtra , Telangana and Andhra Pradesh .Ganesh chaturthi is celebrated also in U.K ,Nepal , US ,Canada , France , Cambodia , Burma , Fiji , Singapore ,Thailand ,Mauritius .In UK : First in Vishwa Hindu temple in 2005In Mauritius: Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in Mauritius dates back to 1896.Over the years the festival gained such popularity on the island that Mauritian government has attributed a public holiday for that day.

Tradition:

Weeks or even months before Ganesh Chaturthi, artistic clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by specially skilled artisans. They are beautifully decorated and depict Lord Ganesh in vivid poses. The size of these statues may vary from 3/4 of an inch to over 70 feet. The tallest Ganesha Idol made which stood 117 feet tall was situated in the city of Visakhapatnam in 2012.

Environmental impact:

The most serious impact of the festival on the environment is due to the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris into lakes, rivers and the sea. Traditionally, the idol was sculpted out of mud taken from nearby one’s home. After the festival, it was returned to the Earth by immersing it in a nearby water body. This cycle was meant to represent the cycle of creation and dissolution in Nature.

However, as the production of Ganesh idols on a commercial basis grew, the earthen or natural clay (shaadu maati in Marathi and banka matti in Telugu) was replaced by Plaster of Paris. Plaster is a man-made material, easier to mould, lighter and less expensive than clay. However, plaster is non-biodegradable, and insoluble in water. Moreover, the chemical paints used to adorn these plaster idols themselves contain heavy metals like mercury and cadmium, causing water pollution. Also, on immersion, non-biodegradable accessories that originally adorned the idol accumulate in the layers of sand on the beach.

In the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Radio Jaagriti, the leading Hindu radio station in the country, has actively educated the public of the environmental implications of the use of plaster of Paris murtis. Clay Lord Ganeshas have been encouraged to be used for immersion into the water courses to prevent any harmful environmental impacts. Ganesh Chaturthi is a widely celebrated Hindu Festival in Trinidad and Tobago.In Goa, the sale of Ganesh idols made from Plaster of Paris (PoP) is banned by the State Government. People are urged to buy traditional clay idols made by artisans.Recently there have been new initiatives sponsored by some state governments to produce clay Ganesha idols.

Gallery :

Street festivities in Hyderabad during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.A Ganesh

Procession in Mumbai, India prior to immersion.

A small clay Ganesh idol worshipped in a home during Ganesh FestivalStatue of

Ganesha, put up in Khairatabad , Hyderabad, India in 2008 during Ganesh Chaturthi, worshiped for 9 days and then immersed in water.

The Other Names of Vinayaka with meanings

Akhuratha: One whose chariot is pulled by a mouse Alampata: One who is forever eternal Amit: One who is incomparable Anantachidrupamayam: One who is the personification of the infinite

consciousness Avaneesh: Master of the universe Avighna: The remover of obstacles Balaganapati: Beloved child Bhalchandra: One who is moon crested Bheema: One who is gigantic Bhupati: The lord of lords Bhuvanpati: The lord of the heaven Buddhinath: The God of wisdom Buddhipriya: One who bestows of knowledge and intellect Buddhividhata: The God of knowledge Chaturbhuj: The four-armed lord Devadeva: The lord of lords Devantakanashakarin: Destroyer of evils and demons Devavrata: One who accepts all penances Devendrashika: The protector of all gods Dharmik: One who is righteous and charitable

Dhoomravarna: One whose skin is smoke-hued Durja: The invincible Dvaimatura: One who has two mothers Ekaakshara: One who is of a single syllable Ekadanta: Single-tusked Ekadrishta: Single-focused Eshanputra: The son of Shiva Gadadhara: One whose weapon is the mace Gajakarna: One who has elephantine-ears Gajanana: One who has an elephantine face Gajananeti: One who has the looks of an elephant Gajavakra: The trunk of an elephant Gajavaktra: One who has an elephantine mouth Ganadhakshya: The lord of lords Ganadhyakshina: Leader of all celestial bodies Ganapati: The lord of lords Gaurisuta: The son of Gauri Gunina: The lord of virtues Haridra: One who is golden-hued Heramba: Mother's beloved son

Kapila: One who is yellowish-brown Kaveesha: The lord of poets Kirti: The lord of music Kripalu: Merciful lord Krishapingaksha: One who has yellowish-brown eyes Kshamakaram: The abode of forgiveness Kshipra: One who is easy to appease Lambakarna: One who has large ears Lambodara: One who has a big belly Mahabala: One who is enormously strongMahaganapati: The Supreme Lord Maheshwaram: Lord of the universe Mangalamurti: The all auspicious Lord Manomay: The winner of hearts Mrityuanjaya: The conqueror of death Mundakarama: The abode of happiness Muktidaya: Bestower of eternal bliss Musikvahana: One who rides a mouse Nadapratithishta: One who appreciates music Namasthetu: Destroyer of evils and sins

Nandana: Lord Shiva's son Nideeshwaram: Bestower of wealth Omkara: One who has the form of 'Om' Pitambara: One who has yellowish skin Pramoda: Lord of all abodes Prathameshwara: First among all Gods Purush: The omnipotent personality Rakta: One who is blood-hued Rudrapriya: One who is the beloved of Shiva Sarvadevatman: One who accepts all celestial offerings Sarvasiddhanta: Bestower of skills and knowledge Sarvatman: Protector of the universe Shambhavi: Son of Parvati Shashivarnam: One who has a moon-like complexion Shoorpakarna: One who is large-eared Shuban: The all auspicious Lord Shubhagunakanan One who is The Master of All Virtues Shweta: One who is as pure as the white Siddhidhata: Bestower of accomplishments and successes Siddhipriya: Giver of wishes and boons

Siddhivinayaka: Bestower of success Skandapurvaja: Elder of Skanda or Kartikya Sumukha: One who has an auspicious face Sureshwaram: The lord of lords Swaroop: Lover of beauty Tarun: One who is ageless Uddanda: The nemesis of evils and vices Umaputra: The son of Goddess Uma Vakratunda: One with a curved trunk Varaganapati: Bestower of boons Varaprada: One who grants wishes Varadavinayaka: Bestower of success Veeraganapati: The vigorous lord Vidyavaridhi: The God of wisdom Vighnahara: Remover of obstacles Vignaharta: Destroyer of all obstacles Vighnaraja: Lord of all obstacles Vighnarajendra: Lord of all obstacles Vighnavinashanaya: Destroyer of all obstacles Vigneshwara: Lord of all obstacles

Vikat: One who is huge Vinayaka: The Supreme Lord Vishwamukha: Master of the universe Vishwaraja: King of the world Yagnakaya: One who accepts sacrificial offerings Yashaskaram: The bestower of fame and fortune Yashvasin: The beloved and ever popular lord Yogadhipa: The lord of meditation