Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi is one of the major
traditional festivals celebrated by the Hindu community. The festival marks
the birthday of Lord Ganesha; the Lord of knowledge, wisdom, prosperity and good
fortune. It is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada. The
festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Ananta Chaturdashi.
There are many stories associated with the birth of Lord
Ganesha, one of the most relevant ones is shared here. According to Hindu
mythology, Lord Ganesha is the son of Shiva (The God of Destruction in the
Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) and Parvati (Shiva’s
consort). One day, as Parvati was alone at home, she felt the need for
someone to guard the door to her house while she took a bath. Parvati created
Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life
into the figure. She then set him the task of guarding her door while she
bathed. Lord Shiva returned while Parvati was bathing, but was abruptly
stopped by the man-god Parvati had posted at the door. Outraged by the cheek
of this stranger, Shiva cut off his head only to discover later that he had
killed Parvati’s son! When Parvati learned of this, she was so enraged and
insulted that she decided she was going to destroy the entire world. This
worried everyone and they requested Lord Shiva to find a solution to calm her
rage. Shiva then ordered all his followers (ganas) to immediately go and find
a child whose mother had her back towards her child in negligence and bring
his head. The first child seen by the followers was that of an elephant and
they, as ordered, cut his head and brought it to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva
immediately placed the head on Ganesha`s body and brought it to life again.
He declared Ganesha to be his own son as well, and gave him the status of
being foremost among the gods, and leader of all the ganas (classes of
beings), Ganapati.
It is not known when and how Ganesh Chaturthi was first
celebrated. But according to historians, the earliest Ganesh Chaturthi
celebrations can be traced back to the times of the reigns of dynasties of
Satavahana, Rashtrakuta and Chalukya. Historical records reveal that Ganesh
Chaturthi celebrations were initiated in Maharashtra by Chatrapati Shivaji
Maharaja, the great Maratha ruler, to promote culture and nationalism. It has
continued ever since. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great pomp and fair
in states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
On the occassion of Ganesh Chaturthi, may the Lord fill your
life with prosperity and success. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!
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