We Indians love celebrating festivals with unwavering zest, especially the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. A popular Hindu festival that commemorates the birthday of Lord Ganesha, Ganesh, or Vinayaka Chaturthi occurs in the Bhadra month which is usually August-September. Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 is a 10-day long auspicious celebration commencing on the 7th of September. The famous festival of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the younger son of Lord Shiva—the creator, protector, and destroyer of the universe—and Goddess Parvati, an incarnation of Goddess Durga, the elephant god of wealth and wisdom, Ganesh.
About Ganesh Chaturthi
A 10-day-long celebration that marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, the Ganpati festival holds an important place in Hindu culture and is celebrated with much pomp and show across the country, especially in the state of Maharashtra. Ganesh Chaturthi celebration, this year, will commence on the 7th of September, marking the rebirth of the Lord and new beginnings of prosperity and good fortune. As legend dictates, Lord Ganesha was created from dirt from Goddess Parvati’s body. He was guarding her door while she took a bath. When Lord Shiva returned home, Ganesha, not knowing it was his father, stopped him. This act angered Mahadev, who in spite, cut off his son’s head. As a promise to return his son alive back to his wife, Lord Shiva fixed an elephant’s head on the child’s body and that led to the rebirth of Lord Ganesha.
Believed to be a 'vighnakarta', creator of obstacles for the demons, and ‘vighnaharta’, an averter of obstacles for the gods—Ganesha was given the utmost power by Lord Shiva. It is believed that praying to Lord Ganesha during the Ganpati festival frees people from their sins. Devotees offer prayers to the Hindu god with his favourite sweet modak, asking for knowledge and wisdom, and bappa fulfils them all.
While each state in the country has their own way of Ganesh Chaturthi celebration, it holds special religious significance in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, and Goa. People from all castes and corners of society come together to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi and offer prayers and delicacies to the lord. Ganesh Pandals are set up for the devotees to pray to the God and modaks are enjoyed in every household.
Ananth Chaturdashi
Ananth Chaturdashi falls on the last day of the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. Also known as Ganesh Chaudas, on this auspicious day the idol of Lord Ganesha is bid adieu by visarjan in water. With Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 falling on the 7th of September, Ananth Chaturdashi will be observed on the 17th of September. Devotees fast on this day praying to Lord Vishnu in his anant (endless) form to get rid of worldly sorrows and sufferings. The idol of Lord Ganesha is laid down horizontally in a resting state before submerging him in the water. Special incantations and chants are sung by priests requesting the lord to come again and bring a multitude of prosperity and peace to the world. Ananth Chaturdashi is often the most emotional day of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration, and devotees bid their goodbyes with the hope of seeing their favourite deity soon again.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024- Rituals and celebration
There are majorly 4 rituals when it comes to Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. It starts with the Pranapratishhtha ritual, where a priest chants sacred mantras to invoke life into the Ganesha idol. Once this consecration ritual is done, comes the Shhodashopachara ritual. This ritual includes offering prayers to Lord Ganesha in 16 distinct ways, each symbolizing a different form of reverence and devotion. As the festival draws to a close, the Uttarpuja ritual is performed. This is the ritual right before the procession starts. The procession is a high-octane one. Filled with dhol tasha, and chants of 'Ganapati Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya'. And the final ritual thereafter, Ganpati Visarjan, involves the immersion of the Ganesha idol in water.
History of Ganesh Chaturthi celebration
While the origin of Ganesh Chaturthi is unclear, the Peshwai were known to joyously celebrate the festival in the capital city of Pune. This practice morphed into a private, homely celebration under British rule, till freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak championed it as a means to circumvent the colonial British government ban on Hindu gatherings. Fearing any revolts stemming from public gatherings, the British had banned them all except the religious ones. This is what he saw as an opportunity to bridge the gap between different hindu sections in the region, and unite them against the British rule.
Delicacies of Ganesh Chaturthi celebration
Ganpati Chaturthi is a festival that celebrates the grandeur of Lord Ganesha in his true form, a foodie. Believed to love his sweets, the god is offered a multitude of bhogs that are then distributed as prasad to the devotees who come to offer their prayers. Celebrating the first foodie on Ganesh Chaturthi, here are some of the delicacies to make for Lord Ganesha during the auspicious period.
1. Modak
A sweet dumpling made using dry fruits and sugar, Lord Ganesha’s love for the delicious modak is no surprise. On the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi celebration, devotees make these subtly sweet and nuanced dumplings, and they're shared post poojan, and are a staple in Maharashtra, especially with these modak places in Mumbai that have been loved across generations. In Konkan, they're called nevri, and different names in other languages like Odia, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. The essence and love associated with modak however remains the same.
Modak are generally of three types, Ukadiche or steamed modak, fried modak, and mawa modak. While traditionally, modak were only steamed, frying made them last longer so that popular, and mawa modak are more of khoya preparations that look like modak but can be in any flavour.
2. Motichoor laddu
If you don't have access to Bappa's favourite modak this Ganesh Chaturthi 2024, no worries. Lord Ganesh is called lambodar for a reason. Modak might be his favourite but he loves food and sweets like laddus too. Soft and decadent, motichoor laddus are made from besan or gram flour. The name of the laddu itself defines the texture of the sweet. Motichoor is supposed to be as small and delicate as crushed pearls, hence the name. It is what gives the laddus that fine taste and makes them so popular and loved.
3. Sheera
While both modak and motichoor laddus are great options for large gatherings in the Ganesh Charturthi celebrations, sheera is a much-loved sweet that is made in families for their own smaller celebrations. Made using semolina (suji), sugar, saffron, and nuts— sheera is simple, quick to make, and is loved by the deity and his devotees alike. If you have a small, intimate gathering to observe Ganesh Chaturthi 2024, you can opt for sheera as your primary sweet.
Famous Ganpati pandals to visit in Mumbai
This year Ganesh Chaturthi date falls on the last day of August. As devotees gear up to welcome Lord Ganesha once again into their hearts and home, here are some famous pandals to visit:
1. Lalbaugcha Raja
The king of Lalbaug, Lord Ganesha sits magnificently on his throne blessing over 1.5 million devotees every day during the festive period. The mandal of Lalbaugcha Raja was founded in 1934 and has been one of the most frequented pandals in Mumbai ever since. This year, with Ganesh Chaturthi 2024, it'll be the 91st year of Lalbaugcha Raja, and the popularity of this Ganesh pandal only keeps growing.
2. GSB Seva Mandal Ganpati
Believed to collect handsome donations each year, the GSB Seva Mandal Ganpati idol is a spectacle featuring exquisite gold and silver ornaments. Flocked with hundreds and thousands of devotees every day, the pandal houses round-the-clock priests to perform puja during the 10 days of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. This Ganesh pandal is also known for its eco-friendly practices as the idol is made entirely from clay.
3. Andhericha Raja
Andhericha Raja exudes a royal vibe and holds immense religious significance for the locals. With many celebrities flocking to the pandal, the King of Andheri will leave you mesmerised as he sits in his grand attire and stately charm, blessing all those who seek solace from his presence. While generally, Ganesh Chaturthi celebration is a 10 festival, Andhericha Raja proceeds for immersion after 5 days of establishment. For Ganesh Chaturthi 2024, it is expected to be on the 12th of September.
Apart from the pandals, these famous Ganpati temples also witness massive footfall in these 10 days.
5 things to know about Ganesh
Lord Ganesh is one of the most popular Hindu gods, and it's easy to see why! Here are 5 things to know about Ganesh:
- Lord Ganesh transcribed the epic Mahabharata and had asked the sage Vyasadeva to dictate the entire account without stopping even once. It is said that Vyasadeva consented, but not before posing his own condition: that Ganesha could write down a stanza only after fully comprehending its essence. To which the elephant God agreed, broke his tusk to use as a pen, and got started.
- Lord Ganesh is said to be the epitome of wisdom. Once, he and his brother Kartikey were in competition to see who could circumambulate the earth quickest. Kartikeya promptly flew off in a hurry but Ganesh devotedly circled his parents instead. Because Lord Shiva and Parvati are considered to be the very centre of creation, Ganesha was deemed the winner.
- He is known by many names, each significantly describing him to his best. Ekdanta, for example, comes from him using his tusk to transcribe Mahabharata. Lambodar describes his big belly and love for food, and Vakratunda for his curved trunk.
- His ride is a mouse, and no ordinary one at that. It is believed that Bappa's beloved mooshak was infact a demon that he fought and trapped. The mouse then asked to be of use to him, and hence the Akhrutha.
- He's married to twin sisters, Riddhi and Siddhi, and has two sons, Shubha, and Labh.
Disclaimer: The details mentioned throughout this blog are sourced from publicly accessible platforms. At Zeezest, we intend to share factual and verified information. Should there be any inconsistencies or variances in the information provided, please understand that these are entirely unintentional and not meant to mislead.