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HAPPY GANESH CHATURTHI 2024:The auspicious Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi falls on September 7 this year. Also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, Vinayaka Chavithi, Ganeshotsav or Vinayagar Chaturthi, the festival marks the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha. He is the god of wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. To celebrate this day, you can share greetings, best wishes, images and more with your friends and family. Here are top 30 messages to send them
Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that pays homage to Lord Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, and celebrates the day of his birth. Many recognize that Lord Ganesh brings order in this universe and worship him before embarking on a new endeavor, intellectual journey, or business enterprise. Therefore, it is common to see images or statues of him in these places.
One of Hinduism’s most revered personalities, Ganesha is widely recognized for having the head of an elephant and is the son of Shiva (the God of Transformation) and his wife Parvati. Every year, his birth is celebrated with a 10-day festival, during which four main rituals, namely Prana Pratishta, Shodashopachara, Uttarpuja, and Ganpati Visarjan are performed.
Festivities begin as Ganesha deities, generally made of clay and decorated with flowers and lights, are set up in private homes and/or temporary public stages called pandals. Priests then conduct Prana Pratishta, a ceremony in which mantras are recited, invoking Ganesha’s presence into the clay deity, after which he is offered formal prayers in a 16-step worship called Shodashopachara.
During each day of the celebration, prasad, or food blessed by the deity, is distributed throughout the community. Followers also meditate on the many aspects of his form, which symbolize deeper spiritual truths, while many choose to observe fasts. On the last day of the festival, Uttarpuja is performed, a ritual bidding Ganesha farewell. After, he is carried in a public procession with kirtan (devotional music) to a nearby body of water in which he is immersed. This custom is Ganpati Visarjan, and it symbolizes his return to Mount Kailash, a peak in the Himalayas where Shiva and Parvati are said to reside
Preparations for celebrating Ganeshotsav are in full swing in Maharashtra
Mumbai: Amidst chants of “Ganpati bappa morya, mangal murti morya’, people of Maharashtra welcomed Lord Ganesha on Friday on the eve of Ganeshotsav.The 11-day festival will begin from 7 September and end on 17 September.On the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, the idols of Lord Ganesh will be installed in homes, establishments and public mandals.The ‘sthapna’ pooja will be performed followed by traditional ‘aartis’ to mark the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed-pot-bellied God of wisdom, brings in prosperity and good fortune.
Ganapati stands as a symbol of knowledge, as the lord of the lords as ‘Ganadhipati’ and as the remover of obstacles ‘Vighnaharta’.The immersion ceremonies will conclude from 8-13 September. September.The eleventh and final day of immersion will be held on 17 September coinciding with Anant Chaturdashi.Incidentally, the International Literacy Day falls on 8 September.The Ganesh festival is also coinciding with the Onam, which would be celebrated from 6-15 September, while Id-e-Milad is on 15 or 16 September.
Ganeshotsav is the biggest festival of Maharashtra. The city of Mumbai attracts people from all over the country. Foreign tourists also fly down to witness the event.In Mumbai itself more than 4 lakh idols will be installed at homes and public venues by various mandals or associations.The entire state of Maharashtra will see more than 10 lakh idols installed. Moreover, the cities of Pune and Nashik will witness grand celebrations.In Mumbai, the origin of the festival in this form is from Keshavji Nayak Chawl at Girgaum
Shubh Muhurat for Ganesh chaturthi
In Hindu pujas, Shubh Muhurat or divine timing plays an incredibly significant role in the way the holy rituals are carried out. Shubh Muhurat is a holy window of time wherein the devotees must carry out various acts of worship to be as spiritually aligned with the divine as possible and ensure that their prayers are heard.
For Ganesh Chaturthi 2024, the Shubh Muhurat is from 11:25 AM to 1:55 PM on September 7th. It is believed Lord Ganesha was born around this time, thus making it the most auspicious time for Puja Vidhi. However, the exact Shubh Muhurat differs from city to city and here are the approximate timings for most major cities in India. As per Drik Panchang, the different timings for the cities are as follows
Vrat Kathas are sacred stories narrated out loud amid large gatherings of devotees. In a more intimate setting, families often invite their friends and neighbours to partake in reading while being on a type of fast which suits their constitution. The most popular Vrat Katha associated with Ganesh
Chaturthi is the one of Lord Ganesha’s birth. According to the stories of yore, Parvati breathedlife into Ganesha after she created him from sandalwood paste; a divine and miraculous birth. Immediately after his birth, he was assigned the task of guarding his mother while she bathed. However, when Lord Shiva returned to his wife found an unfamiliar being blocking his way, tragedy struck as they engaged in battle which resulted in Lord Shiva severing Lord Ganesha’s head from his body. A grief-stricken Parvati mourned her newly- birthed son terribly and was inconsolable. Thus to appease her, Lord Shiva brought him back to life by replacing his head with that of a slumbering
Information about Ganpati Visarjan
Visarjan is the final act of Ganesh Chaturthi. Translating to immersion, it involves loud and voracious celebrations to bid Lord Ganesha farewell for the year, after which his statue is immersed in a body of water and symbolically sent back home to his parents Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Before he is immersed in water, the statue of Lord Ganesha is decorated beautifully and the final aarti is performed as devotees offer flowers, fruits and coconuts.
the statue is taken out in a massive procession alongside dance and chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya.” Finally the idol is lowered to the selected body of farewell and devotees bid Lord Ganesha an emotional goodbye.
Visarjans can be carried out in the sea, rivers or lakes. Visarjan symbolises the cycle of life and death; it is said that with the visarjan of Lord Ganesha’s statue, all obstacles in your life are also taken away by him ushering in the way for luck and prosperity.
The Shubh Muhurat for Ganpati Visarjan on September 17th as per Drik Panchang is as follows:Morning: 9:11 AM to 1:47 PM, Afternoon: 3:19 PM to 4:51 PM, Evening: 7:51 PM to 9:19 PM, Night: 10:47 PM to 3:12 AM on September 18th
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 promises to be a grand celebration, with devotees eagerly awaiting the arrival of Lord Ganesha. The detailed Puja Vidhi, Shubh Muhurat, Vrat Katha, fasting practices, and the significance of Ganpati Visarjan provide a comprehensive guide for those looking to celebrate this auspicious festival with devotion and enthusiasm.
All for Bappa’s blessings
An old haunt for lovers of Ganeshotsav celebrations in the city is the old Maharashtra Sadan, where a traditional Ganpati pandal is set-up for all devotees. “This time it’s the 27th year of the Ganesh Utsav we organise every year,” shares Bhagwanti Meshram, manager at the sadan and chairperson of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samiti, adding, “On day one, at around 10.30am we will bring the Ganesha idol, which we have sourced from Mumbai – with dhol and all the tradiitonal customs. By noon we will have the idol’s sthapna ceremony. The Ganesha idol is around three-and-a-half to four feet tall, and it’s for this idol that we will perform daily aartis every morning and evening.”
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