Ganesh Chaturthi is approaching. And literally, you should start planning for your Mumbai tour from now. It is a grand celebration with a lot of joy and happiness. This auspicious festival is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm all around the entire country.
A Brief Introduction
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the famous occasions for Hindus. Do you want to know the dates of this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi festival? It will start on 07th September and will conclude on 16th September.
The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi takes place in the Bhadrapada month. This month starts in the middle of August and ends in the middle of September. The entire festival lasts for eleven days. As per the Hindu calendar, Bhadra (a Hindu month) is the time when this festival is observed. Ananta Chaturdashi marks the conclusion of this festival.
Do you know the significance of Ganesh Chaturthi? It is Lord Ganesha’s birthday. Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva are the parents of Lord Ganesha. According to Hindus, Lord Ganesha is the Lord of prosperity, good luck, and wisdom.
It’s no wonder that Ganesh Chaturthi is the biggest celebration in Maharashtra. But, you can also witness a great celebration in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. Moreover, Sri Lanka and Nepal also celebrate this festival with high spirits.
About the Celebration
Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival of ten days. And do you know these ten days are the most crucial of the celebrations in Maharashtra? There is a declaration of holiday on this auspicious occasion. The preparation is not a matter of one or two days. It starts from 2 to 3 months before the grand celebration.
Lord Ganesha is worshiped in the form of clay idols. However, get ready to amaze by witnessing big idols (even more than 25 feet) during this festival. Devotees bring idols to the place of worship and pandals and place them on the elevated platforms. And then, the worship gets started.
Worshipping of different gods and Goddesses is involved with various rituals. Ganesh Chaturthi is also celebrated with a lot of rituals and chanting mantras is one of them. And you might know that different arrangements are needed for the entire occasion, such as jaggery, coconut, 21 ‘Durva’ blades, red flowers, and 21 ‘Modakas.’
You already know that the worship of Lord Ganesha lasts for ten days. But, what happens on the eleventh day? The preparation is going on to immerse the idol in the water of the sea or river with the wish that “Ganpati Bappa” will bless everyone and come back next year.
Moreover, the immersion procession is also something that you should not miss watching. A large number of people take part in this procession while singing as well as dancing. All streets, houses, and temples are decorated with vibrant lights. And all of these factors have made this festival a must-participating one.
Throughout this grand festival, many people initiate different charitable works. Noble activities like medical check-ups, blood donation camps, etc are integral parts of this celebration. Moreover, a lot of cultural programs are also arranged during this celebration to enhance joy and happiness. Don’t forget to become a witness to these joyful events.
Ganesh Chaturthi Rituals
Let’s discuss the rituals during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in detail:
Pranapratishhtha: It is all about making the idol of Lord Ganesha. Devotees, who would observe this occasion in their places, perform “Pranapratishhtha” in their places of worship. Thus, they prepare their homes and pandals for prayer.
Devotees pray and seek blessings from Lord Ganesha. Signing devotional songs is also a key part of this observance. Some communities also participate in musical concerts for the Pranapratishhtha ritual.
Shhodashopachara: Devotees pray tribute to Lord Ganesha’s idol. Do you know the ritual is all about sixteen kinds of prayers? It consists of flower decoration, the offering of delicacies, and so on.
Uttarpuja: It is a ritual, which is observed just before the Lord Ganesha idol is brought from the respective position followed by getting prepared for the immersion procession.
Ganpati Visarjan: You might know that “Visarjan” is all about immersing an idol in a water body. This ritual signifies that God is formless as well as present everywhere.
Must-Visit Temples in times of Ganesh Chaturthi
Let’s talk about some popular temples, that you can plan to visit during this auspicious occasion:
Ashtavinayaka Temple: You must plan to visit Pune to participate in the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Ashtavinayaka Temple. Do you know it is among the top eight temples in Pune that you should visit throughout this observance?
Siddhivinayak Temple: Based in Mumbai, Siddhivinayak Temple is one of the most popular temples to witness the observance of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple: You should visit Chittoor to witness the mesmerizing celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi.
Karpaka Vinayakar Temple: Based in Tirupattur, the Karpaka Vinayakar temple is well-known for its awe-inspiring cultural performances.
Chintaman Ganesh Temple: Nestled on Ujjain, Chintaman Ganesh temple is popular for age-old rituals.
Check out the list of Most Popular Temples in Mumbai
What about Delicacies
Are you a foodie? Then, the Ganesh Chaturthi festival can be an ideal occasion for you to appease your foodie soul. Let’s take a look at the famous delicacies of this festival.
Modak: You might have heard about modaks if you’re a food enthusiast. So, it is not possible to imagine Ganesh Chaturthi without this sweet delicacy. The outer layer of modaks is prepared from rice flour. And the stuffing is made of a combination of jaggery, coconut, saffron, and nutmeg.
Srikhand: Don’t forget to relish Shrikhand during this grand celebration. Yogurt, saffron, cardamom, Chironji, etc are used to prepare this delicious dish.
Patholi: These are delicious steamed rice rolls with the filling of a yellow gram. Sweetened coconut scrapping is also used.
Moreover, Rajgira Laddoo, Gur Nariyal Wadi, Sabudana Kheer, Thalipeeth, etc are other popular delicacies in Ganesh Chaturthi.
I hope you have got a lot of ideas regarding the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. It’s high time to start planning to witness this joyful festival. Are you ready for a memorable experience? just tell us your interests and needs so that we can tailor-make your unique India tour.
Also Read:
- Alwar Matsya Festival
- Famous Festivals in August in India
- Top 10 Festivals in September in India
- Dussehra Celebration in India
- Holi the Color Festival in India
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