Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is a ten-day festival celebrated in honour of Ganesha, the Hindu god of intelligence. The day typically occurs in August or September of the Gregorian calendar and is celebrated with prayer, the public and private display of Ganesha idols, the recitation of Vedic hymns, and fasting. On the last day of the festival, a Ganesha idol is carried in a procession and then submerged in a nearby body of water. It is believed that when the clay dissolves, Ganesha will return to Shiva. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated throughout India and Hindu diaspora nations such as Nepal.
The background of Ganesh Chaturthi
Lord Ganesha’s birth has two origin legends. The first is that he was conceived while the deity Parvati was bathing. Shiva instructed the then-child Ganesha to protect the door while his partner Parvati completed her bath. When Shiva later returned, Ganesh denied him access to his residence, which enraged Shiva to the point that he severed Ganesha’s head. Parvati, distressed and heartbroken by this incident, commanded that a new head for Ganesha be found. It was only possible to locate an elephant’s head, which was then mounted on Ganesha’s body. The second, less prevalent version asserts that Shiva and Parvati created Ganesha in response to a command from greater celestial beings. The purpose of Ganesha was to block the path of demons.
It is widely believed that Ganesh Chaturthi was first observed between 271 B.C. and 1190 A.D., when the Satavahana, Rashtrakuta, and Chalukya dynasties governed.
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5 FACTS ABOUT LORD GANESHA EVERY DEVOUT SHOULD KNOW
The first recorded commemoration of the festival occurred during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Lord Ganesha is revered in Nepal, China, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Lord Ganesha is depicted on the 20,000 rupee note of Indonesia.
In China, the deity Kangi Ten, which is a figure with two elephant heads, is venerated.
It is considered inauspicious to see the moon during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
GANESH CHATURTHI DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | September 10 | Friday |
| 2022 | August 31 | Wednesday |
| 2023 | September 19 | Tuesday |
| 2024 | September 7 | Saturday |
| 2025 | August 26 | Tuesday |
