Ganesha

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Ganesh chaturthi Festival – The Birth of Lord Ganesha

Jai Shree Ganeshaay Namah

“Ganpati bappa Moriya “ “Mangal murthi moriya”  Is the melodious sound travelling across across millions of homes, communities, Cities, villages, temples and across the world.   Well that is what everyone chants when Ganesh Chaturthi Festival is celebrated across India and World.   I joined hands with my friends to celebrate this festival when I graduated from my high school.  My friends Milan, Brijesh, Dhaval, Saurabh, Hardik, Dhaval Mehta, Hiren to name a few were the ones  who believed in this festival and have kept the tradition alive and host it every year with full devotion.  We named our group as “Maa Shakti Social Club” which will host festival every year at Bhagyoday society in Baroda Gujarat, India.   It our belief in the festival and lord Ganesha, vighnaharata, destroyer of obstacles, that has kept this festival going on and every year it gets bigger.

Ganesha Festival is a day on which Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi.  The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Ananta Chaturdashi. This festival is observed in the lunar month of bhadrapada shukla paksha chathurthi madhyahana vyapini purvaviddha. If chaturthi prevails on both days, the first day should be taken.

Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.

History

In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak, an Indian nationalist, social reformer and freedom fighter reshaped the annual Ganesh festival from private family celebrations into a grand public event.  Lokamanya Tilak visualized the cultural importance of this deity and popularised Ganesha Chaturthi as a National Festival “to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them” in his nationalistic strivings against the British in Maharashtra.

Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesha in pavilions, and he established the practice of submerging all the public images on the tenth day.

Pooja and Celebrations in India

We at Maa Shakti Social Club(MSSC) start preparing from 2 to 3 months ahead for the festival.  2-3 months prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, life-like clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by specially skilled artisans.  Hence we select the Ganesh Idols among many beautifully decorated which depict Lord Ganesh in various poses. The size of these statues may vary from 3/4th of an inch to over 25 feet.   However We order prior to festival to suit our decoration and theme which changes every year.  Hence we have to give our designs in advance to artists.

Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mantapas (pandals) like ours as I mentioned named Maa Shakti social group, in every locality. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions. MSSC totally is funded from friends and religious devotees.  The mantapas are decorated specially for the festival, either by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc or are theme based decorations, which depict religious themes or current events. The statues are worshiped with families and friends.

The main sweet dish during the festival is the modak ([modagam]or modakam in South India). A modak is a dumpling made from rice flour/wheat flour with a stuffing of fresh or dry-grated coconut, jaggery, dry fruits and some other condiments.  At MSSC we are out of space when we conduct Aarti every evening and morning, due to massive public gathering.  People of surrounding localities visit neighbouring pandals to check out different ganesha idols and decorations.  Children are most fascinated by the festival.

MAA Shakti Social Club

Established in 2000 and festival is hosted every year, staging bigger and bigger Ganpati Idol Symbolizing, the strength and unity among our Group.  I, Milan, Saurabh and Brijesh became a part of this organization in year 2002 when we had beautiful decorations, done with our hands.  Its our hard work and devotion has made this festival successful. We dance and celebrate when we install the Idol on the First day of the ten day festival.  Everyone is excited and happy as never before.  The Ganesha Idol symbolizes harmony, peace, truth, courage, beauty, honesty, respect and love.  When you stare at the Idol, you can see that feeling of happiness, as lord will bestow upon us for all these days.

During the ten days, we conduct pooja twice a day and distribute sweets to people who visit the pandal.  There are lots of memories attached with this festival and I miss this festival a lot.  I left Baroda in 2007 to complete my studies and came to America.  I still extend my support in all possible ways to the club.

At the end of the last day, there are processions carried out with musicians and members of pandals.  Idol is submerged into flowing water at the tenth day, marking the end of the festival.  During the closing ceremonies and processions, our eyes are filled with tears and our heart cries.  We look at Ganesha and His eyes seem to be wet.  We miss those moments, that hard work, tat closeness for days, tats people who appreciated our work, those beautiful moments and miss Lord Ganesha at large.

This time we went at large, constructing very big mandap and big Ganesha Idol, symbolizing the biggest Idol every placed in our locality.  The faith and Devotion of our group will keep this club and festival going on.  No matter whatsoever our future would be, but Ganesha Chaturthi will be celebrated forever and ever.

Ganapati Bappa Moriya

Anant Chaturdashi- Ganesha Visarjan

Ganapati Bappa Morya, Purcha varshi laukarya

I am not happy as the ten day festival has come to an end.  Ganesha Chaturthi festival marks it end with Anant Chaturdashi.  Ganesha visarjan ceremony normally takes place on the Ananta Chaturdasi day, which falls 12 days after the Ganesha Chaturthi day. In 2008, date of Ganesha Visarjan as per tradition was on September 14.  On this day we immerse Idol of Lord Ganesha into water chanting Ganapati Bappa Morya, Purcha Varshi Laukyarya(Hail lord Ganesha, Please come next year soon).  Visarjan is celebrated with great joy all around India.  Ganesha bestowed His blessings and showered His Love upon us for all these days.  Millions of people around the world offered prayers, flowers and Prasad to God, seeking his love and blessings.  Finally the day came when we gave grandiose farewell to Great God of supreme happiness and reliever of sins.  We are going to miss You Ganesha.

Visarjan starts by offering first Morning Prayer to lord Ganesha and the Idol Is shifted slowly from the place where it was installed for past ten days.  Also depends on different people when they do visarjan like on the tenth day or first, third, fifth and so on.  Further more on visarjan day one can do visarjan of Ganapati whenever they want but it is marked by offering prayers, flowers and sweets.  It’s a moment of mixed feelings, at once we feel sad as Ganesha is going to leave and feel happy as He will come next year.  I get emotional whenever I look into eyes of Ganapati. 

Unity in Diversity

In Bombay and Pune, Maharastra state of India you see lots of people gather to say good bye to lord.  Whereas in Baroda, which has lot of Marathi population, you don’t see so many people everywhere but the situation is the same in the city area, celebrates Ganeshotsava with equal faith devotion.  More and More people are celebrating Ganeshotsava with each year passing by.  People of India irrespective of their religion are celebrating festival reviving the faith and thought of Shree Lokmanya Tilak.  Ganapati visarjan witnesses’ devotees in large number gather on streets to get a glimpse of their Ganesha and offer prayers.  People dance and sing in great joy to bid a farewell.   The Ganesha idol is immersed into river, sea, lake or ponds near to the locality or city.

I was very afraid of colors (used to glorify and showcase joy and happiness during these processions) when I was a child.  So whenever visarjan came I used to lock myself into room.  As I grew older I loved colors and used to play with them so much during Ganapati visarjan.  During visarjan I used to dance from start to end of procession until my feet got hurt.   During visarjan people walk along with Ganapati procession and dance all the way till water front.  People stay and stare at the idol till they are able to see their Idol immersed into water.  Many people who are so carried away by the moment stay for a while even if the Visarjan is over.

Special arrangements are made to allow smooth passing of the Ganesha procession.   Police personnel are on their toes before Ganesha Chaturthi itself and now visarjan is their Judgment day.  Rumors about terrorist threat are on the rise.  Life guards, Police, fire department, Rapid action force and Army are on the high alert as larger than life event is going to take place.   On the coast and banks of river, special arrangements like flood lights, life jackets and life guards are placed to ensure safety of devotees.

Anti Social elements are always in search of these events and try to disturb peaceful passing of procession.  These people try to break violence during holy festivals.  I am not happy with how politicians, business associations, have clubbed themselves with these events to glorify their personal identity.  Many times communal riots during visarjan are sparked by some politically influenced person to cash in few votes.  The urge for more power and money have led politicians and leaders to manipulate peace of society.  People in Baroda fear to go in these religious festivals as anytime riots can trigger killing innocent people.  A man in baroda was shot dead by policemen to stop the riots sparked by communal tension in that area.  Perhaps this reflects the inefficiency of Police department responsible for controlling riots before they happen.

A responsible Devotee

When it comes to celebration we all devotees are should celebrate Ganeshotsava with a sense of moral responsibility towards environment and future.  The way world democracy has shaped competition is plausible but competition has influenced our pandals also.  In hosting Ganeshotsava we compete with different pandals in various fronts.  Installing bigger and bigger Idols of Ganesha we have neglected one thing that nature is also part of our life cycle.  In future Ganesha would not be happy see polluted environment destroy His own devotees.  Ganesha loves a clean environment and host Ganeshotsava responsibly.  Music has always been an integral part of any procession, whether you consider religious ceremony, political rally, cultural festivals, we cannot deny music.  In past years Ganesha visarjan was accompanied by drums and sticks, whereas nowadays DJs have come into picture.  DJs are hugely popular among current generation and it’s a trend to have a DJ in Ganapati visarjan.  Problem comes when abusive and vulgar music is played while a religious procession is going on.   This is highly disrespectful of Ganesha and we should consider ourselves held responsible for such nuisances.  In this regard I consider Lalbaugcha raja Ganapati pandal to be the best.  I guess there are very few mandals which focus such issues and I appreciate who are still following the old tradition.

We forget about what happens to Idol of Ganesha when we leave waterfront.  As a religious devotee, I am not pleased to see God in such a situation.  When we see Ganesha idol outside water, destroyed and looking for help, we are disturbed right.  We certainly don’t want this to happen.  Hence we should equally make arrangements for visarjan.  Like ensuring Idol is immersed properly into deep water, ensure Idols are not too big to harm the water bodies, and play music with sense of religious faith are the things to be kept in mind while we organize Ganeshotsava next year.

I would wish people all the very best in their life and request everyone to Pray to God in which ever form you worship.  A fifteen min for God everyday is the best self conscious talk you can do with yourself.  Jai Shree Ganeshay Namah.