India is a well-known country for the richness of culture, history, heritage & festivals. Even today, festivals are celebrated with more or less the similar traditional manner, the way they were celebrated during ancient times.  One such highly celebrated & much awaited festival is Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी). The Festival of Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी) is celebrated widely all over India.

     There are so many days associated to worship Bhagwan Ganesh. Every Tuesday, every 4th day of the bright fortnight as well as every 4th day of the dark fortnight are associated with Bhagwan Ganesh & devotees worship him to remove obstacles from their lives. Just like Vinayak Chaturthi of Magha month (माघः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी), Ganesh Chaturthi of Bhadrapada month is also considered as the most auspicious & is celebrated with great enthusiasm.

     Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी) is also known as Chavithi, Chothvi & Ganeshotsav. According to the Hindu calendar, this day is celebrated on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the Bhadrapada month (भाद्रपदः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी), which generally falls in August/September according to the Gregorian calendar. This festival is celebrated for 10 days. It starts from the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the Bhadrapada month (भाद्रपदः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी) & ends on the fourteenth (14th) day of the bright fortnight of the Bhadrapada month (भाद्रपदः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्दशी) by immersing the idol of Bhagwan Ganesh.

     Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी) is observed throughout India, especially in the states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerela, Andhra Pradesh & Goa.

Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी) –

     The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी) is celebrated to worship the Bhagwan Ganesh. Many misunderstood this day as the birth celebration of Bhawan Ganesh but, that is not truth. The birth celebration of Bhagwan Ganesh is celebrated on the fourth day of the bright fortnight in the Magha month (माघः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी) & Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the Bhadrapada month (भाद्रपदः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी).

     According to Hindu Scriptures, Bhagwan Ganesh is the God of good fortune, wisdom & prosperity. People prepare for this festival before the actual day. Large pandals (temporary stages) are decked up with idols. Year after year, people are getting more innovative with idol-making & choosing more eco-friendly ways to not harm the environment upon immersion.

     During Vedic period the idols of the God used to make out of pure clay & not by any chemicalized material as Hindu religion does not believe in harming nature. The whole concept of keeping an idol of Bhagwan Ganesh for 10 days is that, our bodies are made up of clay & at the end these bodies will get immersed into the original form of clay itself. 

   The devotees also bring small Ganesh idols to their homes, offices, schools, etc. & host pujas which includes chanting stotras, singing devotional songs & offering sweets & different kinds of dishes.

     Again, the ritual of immersing (विसर्जनम्) the idols after a few days of worship emphasizes on the understanding that, God is not in the idol, He is inside us. So, experiencing the Omnipresent in the form & deriving joy out of the form is the essence of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. In a way, such organised festivity & worships lead to the increase in faith & devotion.

     Bhagwan Ganesh is the lord of all the good qualities in us. So, when we worship Him, all the good qualities blossom in us. He is also the Lord of knowledge & wisdom. Knowledge dawns only when we become aware of the Self. When there is inactivity, there is no knowledge, no wisdom, nor is there any liveliness (Chaitanya) or progress in life. So, the consciousness has to be awakened & as the presiding deity of consciousness is Ganesh; the reason of worshipping Bhagwan Ganesha before every puja is to awaken the consciousness before starting any puja. Therefore, installing the idol, worship it with infinite love, faith, devotion & experience Bhagwan Ganesh from within. This is the significant essence of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, to awaken the true qualities (tattva) (तत्त्वम्) of Bhagwan Ganesh which is concealed inside us.

    During this festival, the idol of Bhagwan Ganesh must made out of clay & not with any kind of chemical. During Vedic time, people used to make the idols with pure clay. Later, when Lokmanya Tilak transformed this household festival into a public festival, at that time also people used pure clay idols. But, as time passed people started using chemicalized idol to make it more durable, as it becomes very difficult to take care of the idol made out of clay. But then again, according to the Vedas, worshipping the idol made out of pure clay offers more positive energies to the house, family & community, & the idol made with clay & chemical offers mixed energies to the house, family & community, which affects the house, family & community adversely.

    Scientifically & logically speaking, as we immerse the chemicalized idol into the river, it will affect the water & the same water we will drink someday & it will affect our body. This was the reason only clay idol is suggested by the Vedas. All the reasons are truly connected to the science.
Also, the sculptor starts making the idols 3-4 months ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी). Different size & shape of Bhagwan Ganesh is made. But now a days sculptor makes the Bhagwan Ganesh idol in the form of Bahubali Ganesh, selfie taking Ganesh, driving scooter Ganesh, driving rickshaw Ganesh, body builder Ganesh, etc., etc. Sculptor makes such idols because people buy such idols. This practice is incorrect & is not acceptable. By installing such idol of Bhagwan Ganesh, we make fun of our Sanatan Dharma & of our own Gods by making & buying our God’s idol in such forms.

     There is no justification to make Bhagwan Ganesh sit in any other kind of indecent form. We are responsible to save the dignity of our Gods & Goddesses. If we will stop buying such idols, sculptors will stop making such idols & thus, the dignity of our Dharma & Deities will be maintained. So, from this Ganesh Chaturthi onwards, we should buy a traditional idol of Bhagwan Ganesh, in which there is a replica of the original form of Bhagwan Ganesh, which can also be with Siddhi-Buddhi or without Siddhi-Budhhi.

Importance of chanting ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ (गणपति बाप्पा मोरया) –

     We all know that we chantGanpati Bappa Morya (गणपति बाप्पा मोरया), while bringing the Bhagwan Ganesh’s idol as well as while immersing the idol into the water. The most famous “Ganpati Bappa Morya” has its meaning in it, let us understand it. Bhagwan Ganesh has so many names like Vinayaka, Ekadanta, Vakratunda, Ganesh, Ganpati. So here the name Ganpati is another name of Ganesh & it is made up of two words – Gana & Pati, where Gana means the attendants of Bhagwan Shiva & Pati means the leader, hence Ganpati means the leader of all the attendants.

     Now, coming forward to another word from Ganpati Bappa Morya is Bappa. Bappa means father or the Lord.

     And, Morya is the name of an ardent devotee of Bhagwan Ganesh. Now let us know how his name got attached to Bhagwan Ganesh. During the 14th century, there was a great devotee of Bhagwan Ganesh named Morya Gosavi. He was originally from a village called Shaligram in Karnataka where his devotion was looked upon as madness. He later travelled & settled in Chinchwad, near Pune & invoked Bhagwan Ganesh with severe penance. 

    Pleased with Morya’s devotion & severe penance, Bhagwan Ganesh appeared in his dreams & granted him a boon. Morya refused any material wealth & asked that his name be forever connected with the lord himself. This can be said to indicate the inseparable bond between God & His devotee. So, Bhagwan Ganesh declared that every time His name is chanted, it should be followed by Morya. Thus, the chant ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya!’ got popular.

     Morya attained siddhi (special powers & blessings) at Shree Chintamani & his son built the temple to commemorate the event. Also, Morya performed penances at Siddhivinayak in Ahmedabad & Moreshwar at Morgaon where his son built a temple too. Tukaram Maharaj & others have endorsed Moraya Gosavi as one who merged with Bhagwan Ganesh. The initiation of the Ashtavinayak pilgrimage is attributed (credited) to him.
However, according to another legend, ‘Morya’ is said to be a combination of two words, ‘mhore’ and ‘ya’, where, the Kolhapuri dialect ‘mhore’ & ‘ya’ collectively mean ‘please come forward & bless.’

     Thus, the reason behind chanting ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ has its roots connected to the most famous devotee Morya Gosavi.

Historical account of Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी) –

     According to the Scriptures, during Vedic times, devotees used to make idols of Gods with clay, which is worshipped for few days & later, the idol is immersed into the river. Such idols which are made up of clay are known as Parthiv Murti in Sanskrit which means Earthen idol. Such practice was prevalent during Vedic period & later such practices started to perish bit by bit.

    But, historically during British rule, all our Hindu cultures & rituals begun to perish. So, the Maratha ruler Shivaji encouraged nationalist sentiment to those who were fighting for the freedom. In 1893, when the British banned political assemblies, the festival was revived by the Indian nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

     Bal Gangadhar Tilak was an Indian Nationalist, teacher & an independence activist. His real name was Keshav Gangadhar Tilak & he was endeared as Lokmanya Tilak. The British colonial authorities called him “The father of the Indian unrest”. He was also conferred with the title of ‘Lokmanya’, which means accepted by the people as their leader. Mahatma Gandhi called him ‘The Maker of Modern India’.

     In 1894, Lokmanya Tilak transformed the household worshipping of Ganesh into a grand public event (sarvajanik Ganeshotsav). The celebrations consisted of several days of processions, music & food. This was commenced for the unity of the Hindus despite of any caste or occupation. His main moto was to bring Hindus together despite of any caste systems. In 1895, Tilak founded the Shri Shivaji Fund Committee for the celebration of Shiv Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Shivaji - the founder of the Maratha Empire. The project also had the objective of funding the reconstruction of the tomb (Samadhi) of Shivaji at Raighad Fort.

      The events like the Ganapati festival & Shiv Jayanti were used by Tilak to build a national spirit beyond the circle of the educated leading in opposition to British rule.

     Thus, Lokmanya Tilak changed the festival from a private celebration to a grand public event to bridge the gap between Brahmins & non-Brahmins & find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them. Till today the festival is celebrated by Hindus worldwide & is particularly popular in Maharashtra & parts of western India.

     There is a Scriptural legend connected to the same. According to the Mudgal Purana, once Bhagwan Ganesh was roaming around near Mount Kailas at night & he fell on the ground. At that time Chandra Dev (Moon God) (चन्द्र देवः) laughed at Bhagwan Ganesh & Chandra Dev (चन्द्र देवः) made fun of Bhagwan Ganesh by calling him fat. At that very moment Bhagwan Ganesh got furious & he cursed Chandra Dev (चन्द्र देवः) that the one who will look at you on this day, that person will receive inauspiciousness in their life. That was the 4th day of the bright fortnight of the Bhadrapada month (भाद्रपदः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी).

     Also, according to the Scriptures, the devotees of Bhagwan Ganesh keep fast every month on every 4th day of the bright fortnight as well as dark fortnight & eat food in the evening after seeing the moon (चन्द्र देवस्य दर्शनम्). But only on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada month (भाद्रपदः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी), the devotees do not see Chadra Dev (चन्द्र देवः) as he was cursed on this day & out of respect for the Bhagwan Ganesh, as Chandra Dev (चन्द्र देवः) made fun of him, devotees prohibit themselves for seeing the moon.

Ritual ceremony of the Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी) –

     The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी) is widely celebrated across the India. A few days before Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी) people make the pandals (temporary stages) & decorate them with different themes & the idol of Bhagwan Ganesh is brought into the house, temple or community with great street procession.

     On the day of Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी) the idol of Bhagwan Ganesh is invoked & installed with Mantras & Stotras & worshipped with 16 worshipping practices (षोडशोपचारः). Changing new flower garlands, offering food & sweets (नैवेद्यम्) & doing Aarti (आरार्तिक्यम्) (waving lamps) are done every morning & evening. Everyday Bhagwan Ganesh's favourite different dishes Modak, Ladoos, Pooran Poli, Karanji, etc. are prepared to offer it to Bhagwan Ganesh.

     People gather around the Pandal & sing the devotional songs, dancing on devotional songs, singing stotras, lighting the fireworks, etc. are done during the 10day stay of Bhagwan Ganesh. People also visit other pandals (temporary stages) to see the decoration & to see the idol of Bhagwan Ganesh. 

     On the 10th day a huge puja is done which includes all the 16 worshipping practices (षोडशोपचारः), this puja is known as Lalit Puja. Now a days some devotees perform “Satyanarayan katha puja” on the 10th day which is totally wrong. The reason is, according to the Scriptures, when one invokes & install one God in the house or community, one should worship that God only. One should not invoke & install another God to please the God which is firstly installed. So, the practice of performing Satyanarayan Puja is a wrong perception of the people & one should stop performing Satyanarayan Katha Puja during Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी).

     Later, on the 11th day, the Uttarpuja ritual is performed which is bidding farewell to Bhagwan Ganesh with deep respect. This is followed by Ganpati Visarjan - a ceremony wherein the statue is immersed in the river. While carrying the statue to the river, the huge street procession is takes place where devotees play different kinds of instruments & sing devotional songs or chants mantras or stotras.

     But, nowadays the procession takes place by playing Bollywood songs on DJ (Disc Jockey) & again this concept is totally incorrect. We must respect our God & while immersing the idol, we should chant shotras, mantras or devotional songs to give respect to the God. But by playing Bollywood songs we disrespect our God & we expect God to offer blessings which is wrong too.

     Later, while immersing the idol, people generally chant in the Marathi language 'Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Laukar ya' which means ‘we bow down to the leader of the Ganas with respect & request you to come back next year.’ Accordingly, the festival ends.

     Thus, a household festival turned into a grand public festival & a 10 days long festival is celebrated with full enthusiasm, faith & devotion. As now we understood the concept of installing an idol of Bhagwan Ganesh during Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश-चतुर्थी), let us celebrate this festival with more devotion & faith also, let us stop performing the incorrect rituals & accept the correct traditional rituals & perform the traditional rituals these coming years. May Bhagwan Ganesh remove all your obstacles & grant knowledge, wisdom & prosperity.

गणपति बाप्पा मोरया ।

कार्तिकः शुक्लपक्षे ७, २०७९

अस्तु।