Ganesha Chaturthi: A Divine Celebration
Long-lasting feasts and celebrations are woven into India’s social and cultural fabric. The Ganesha Chaturthi event, which commemorates the birth of the elephant-headed god Ganesha, is one of the numerous religious and social rituals that distinguish the varied festive calendar of Indians. Particularly in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, it is celebrated with great enthusiasm.
The Festival: Ganesha Chaturthi
Most locations in India celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi as a day to summon the god of knowledge, wealth, and fortune. On this day, worshippers of Lord Ganesha offer modak, which is thought to be his favorite sweet, as prasad along with fruits and other treats. Thousands of devotees make large and little clay statues of Ganesha for months in preparation and bring them home to worship. After the celebrations are done, it is usual to submerge these idols in water while praying for the god to return to his followers the following year.
Modak
Date of Ganesha Chaturthi in Dubai 2023
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha’s birth transpired during the Shukla Paksha of the Bhadrapada month in the Hindu calendar, typically falling in the months of August to September in the Gregorian calendar. This year, the celebration of Ganesha Chaturthi will take place on Tuesday, September 19th, 2023.
In Maharashtra, India
Ganesha Chaturthi is especially popular in Maharashtra, where the festival was invoked by the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and then reinstated by political thinker and freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak. the celebration. Here, the celebrations last for about ten days. In the shape of stunning clay idols, Ganesha or Ganpati is welcomed inside residences and enormous pandals.
Mumbai is home to a number of pandals, each of which competes against the others by erecting larger and more impressive idols; prizes are also awarded to the best pandal. An evening aarti with songs and hymns is organized by individual houses at this time of devotion and prayer. Women create stunning rangolis outside their homes while decked out in their finest saris and jewelry.
The first, third, seventh, and tenth days are the days for idol immersion. Another lavish event is the immersion ritual, where worshippers parade the idol through the crowd while dancing to the beat of the dhol. Before submerging the idol in a body of water like a lake or sea, devotees perform a last aarti and hurl gulal at one another. The Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata, West Bengal, are comparable to the Ganpati festival in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai.
An idol of Lord Ganesha being taken for immersion
Celebrations Beyond Borders
This is one religious holiday that is enthusiastically observed both in India and abroad. The Indian communities in the UAE, UK, USA, and Canada are well renowned for their celebrations. Puja pandals, prayers, and prasad are organized by the Hindu communities in London and Liverpool for devotees. In Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and Vancouver, Canada, this festival is very well-liked.
