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7 interesting facts of Ganesh Chaturthi

by | Aug 25, 2017 | Religious

A symbol of wisdom and good luck, Lord Ganesha is the most worshiped Hindu God. Regarded as the reliever of all obstacles, Lord Ganesha’s photos, idols and other decorative items find a prominent place in most Hindu households. Any festive occasion or new beginning starts with offering prayers to Lord Ganesha.

Marking the birth of the Lord of Wisdom is the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, which is celebrated across the country for 10 days with fervor and grandeur. The excitement begins months in advance as artists sculpt countless idols of Lord Ganesha in different poses, colours and sizes. Families gear up to welcome their favourite Lord with decorations and an array of sweets, especially the signature mithai – modak. After days of celebration with family and friends, the idol is eventually immersed in the sea (or water) led by a procession of bells, drums and music. In an emotional moment, devotees bid farewell to Lord Ganesha and request him to return again the next year.

[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][image_with_animation image_url=”5538″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]1. In 1893, revolutionary freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak urged the masses to come together to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. His main motive was to inculcate the feeling of patriotism among people at a time when British discouraged social gatherings.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]2. In India, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in the grandest form in Maharashtra, Karnataka and parts of Andhra Pradesh. Outside India, it’s widely celebrated in Nepal’s Terai region, and by Hindus in UK, US and Mauritius etc.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”30″]

[vc_column_text]3. Apart from modaks, Puran Poli also makes for one of the major and popular sweets during Ganesh Chaturthi. Like modaks, Puran Poli can also be offered as ‘bhog’ to the Lord and later served as Prasad. Apart from these two, Karanji is another popular sweet offered to the Lord Ganesha[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]4. Lord Ganesha is also refered as “Vigana Harta” (the remover of obstacles) and “Buddhi Pradaayaka” (the giver of wisdom and intellect). In fact, there are around 108 names of Lord Ganesha, but Ganesha and Ganpati are more common.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]5. Though many believe Ganesha to be a bachelor, there are numerous instances where Ganesha is represented with two wives-Ridhi and Sidhi. Both of them were created by Brahma to placate Ganesha who was distraught at not having any wife when several Gods and deities had more than one. While Ridhi stands for wealth and prosperity, Sidhi symbolises intellect and wisdom. It is believed that anyone who worships Lord Ganesha also invokes the blessings of his wives.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]6. It is believed that Lord Shiva gave a boon to Ganesha that he would be worshipped before any other Lord. He was thereby declared superior to all gods.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]7. Lord Ganesha, who is at times represented with only one tusk, is known as Ek Dant. According to Hindu mythology, Ganesha once broke his tooth and hurled it at the Moon for laughing at his belly. He even cursed the Moon. Although the curse was undone, the myth about looking at the moon is a bad omen still remains.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]