This year, Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated on September 7th. Let’s know the date, time, history and significance of this 10-day celebration dedicated to Ganpati Bappa.
Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayak Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav, is a significant Hindu festival celebrated annually with fanfare and grandeur. The festival marks the birth of Lord Ganesha and lasts for 10 days. The festival is celebrated in largely in Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, particularly in cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad.
When is Ganesh Chaturthi 2024?
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha was born during the Shukla Paksha of the Bhadrapada month in the Hindu calendar, which typically corresponds to August-September in the Gregorian calendar. In 2024, Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated on Saturday, September 7th. and Ganesh Visarjan is on Tuesday, September 17. Meanwhile, the Ganesh Chaturthi puja muhurat is from 11:03 am to 1:34 pm.
History And Significance
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to Hindu mythology, Parvati created Ganesha- the Lord of wisdom, knowledge, prosperity and happiness- with sandalwood paste. Goddess Parvati left Lord Ganesha to guard the place while she was taking the bath. Unaware of this arrangement, Lord Shiva was taken aback when he found Ganesha was blocking his entry. Following his mother’s instructions, Ganesha refused to let Shiva enter, which infuriated Shiva. In his rage, he severed Ganesha’s head.
Maa Parvati was enraged to witness this and took the Kaali avatar while threatening to end the world. After discovering the truth, Lord Shiva instructed his men to fetch the head of a child whose mother was looking the other way. They returned with the head of a baby elephant and presented it to Ganesha. This is how Lord Ganesha came to be known as the elephant-headed deity.
Celebrations
Homes and public spaces are decorated with vibrant colours, lights and flowers. People observe the festivals by bringing home the Ganesh idols of various sizes for one-and-a-half days, three days, seven days, or ten days. Offerings include modaks (sweet dumplings, which are believed to be Lord Ganesha’s favourite) or Ladoos, fruits and flowers. Devotees perform aarti (a devotional song and dance) to honour Ganesha.
The festival ends with Ganesh Visarjan. On this day, the idols are paraded through streets in colourful processions and immersed in water bodies. People chant ‘Ganapati Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya’.