Ganesh chaturthi is a great festival of Hindus. This festival, also known as "vinayak chaturthi" or "vinayaka chaturthi" is celebrated by Hindus around the world as the birth day of lord Ganesha .
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the 4th day of the bright half of Bhadrapad. Ganesha is called is Ganpati also. Lord Ganesha or Ganpati is one of the most popular deities in Hindu religion. Lord Ganesha is considered to be an avatar of Shiva and Vishnu both.
Legends
Ganesh is the son of Shiva and Parvati, brother of Kartikeya. There are numerous legends behind of the ganesh chaturthi and one of them story is that one day, Parvati ji told Ganesha that she is going to take bath. She asked her son (Ganesha) to stand at main door and ordered him not to enter anybody inside the house as she was bathing. During the time Shiv Ji came and went to enter but before he entered his son (Ganesha) stopped him. Shiva got angry and he severed the head of his child (Ganesha) as he was not letting him enter the house. When Parvati (Shiva's wife) came to know that her son was killed by his husband, she got distraught and asked Shiva to revive him. Shiva got a head cut off that was an elephant's head and he fixed that cut head on the on Ganesha.
Ganesh chaturthi celebration:
The festival of ganesh chaturthi is celebrated in a very big way. It is celebrated the state of Maharshtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and many other parts of India . On the occasion of the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival, a large of idols is made of clay or metal in all possible sizes. Peoples buy the idols of lord Ganesha and install them in their hoses and worship the idol for one day and ten days. A life-like clay model of Lord Ganesha is made 2-3 months prior to the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. The size of this icon may vary from 3/4th of an inch to over 25 feet.
On the day of ganesh chaturthi festival, it is located on elevated stages in homes or in elaborately decorated outdoor tents for people to view and pay their homage. The priest, usually wore in red silk dhoti and shawl, prays life into the idol amidst the chanting of mantras. This ritual is called 'pranapratishhtha'. After this the 'shhodashopachara' (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. Coconut, jaggery, 21 'modakas' (rice flour preparation), 21 'durva' (trefoil) blades and red flowers are offered. The idol is rubbing with red ointment or sandal paste (rakta chandan). Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda and Ganapati Atharva Shirsha Upanishad, and Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted.
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