It’s about time the famous chants of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya’ start ringing in our ears every day. It is enough to liven up the Ganesh Utsav festive feeling among the masses.
India celebrates a lot of festivals, some of them political and some religious. This array of festivals are celebrated with a lot of zeal and fervency in several places. In the past month, India has celebrated festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Independence Day and Janmashtami among others. The next festival every Indian is eagerly looking forward to is Ganesh Chaturthi 2022.
Image Credit: Snehal Jeevan Pailkar
‘Ganesh Chaturthi’, also known as Ganesh Utsav, is one of the biggest festivals in India. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha, the child of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The festival both starts and ends with a lot of pomp and grandeur with devotees wholeheartedly celebrating 10 days of Ganesh Chaturthi.
The History of Ganesh Chaturthi:
Many Indian festivals have a significant story behind them. Similarly, even for Ganesh Chaturthi, there are several myths, but the most popular one is the story of Goddess Parvati creating Ganpati. It is believed that Parvati carved Ganesha out of sandalwood paste, put life in him and placed him on guard while she went for a bath. Following his mother’s instructions, Ganesha obstructed Lord Shiva from entering the house due to this Shiva chopped Ganesha’s head in rage. Seeing this, Goddess Parvati was enraged and threatened to destroy the world. Shiva tried to make things better by resurrecting an elephant head on Ganesha’s body and all the gods blessed Ganesha, giving him a new life.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2022 Dates:
It is said that Lord Ganesha was born in the Shukla Paksha of the Bhadrapada month according to the Hindu calendar. So, generally, the festival is celebrated in August or September.
This year, Ganesh Chaturthi 2022 will be celebrated on the 31st of August. The festival then continues for 10-days. The last day of the festival is Anant Chaturdashi (9th September 2022). On this day, immersion or visarjan of the Ganesh idols is observed and it is a grand grand affair.
Image Credit: RAMNIKLAL MODI
Image Credit: Kunal Umesh Mohite
The Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi:
The Ganesh Chaturthi festival marks the birth of Lord Ganesha. He is worshiped as the God of money, science, knowledge, wisdom and prosperity and his blessings are taken before any important endeavor. For 10 days, Lord Ganesha comes on earth to bless his devotees and then returns back to his mother.
The Rituals of Ganesh Chaturthi:
Even though the festival is spread across 10 days, the first and the last day are the most pompous. There are 4 distinct rituals that are practised during Ganesh Chaturthi –
- Pranapratishtha: With this ritual life is sparked into the deity’s idol as a Priest chants mantras. The idol is then placed in the pandals.
- Shhodashopachara: 16 types of prayers are offered to Lord Ganesha, which also includes offering flowers and sweets.
- Uttarpuja: This puja is done right before the immersion of the idol.
- Visarjan: This is the final ritual for the deity. The idol is finally immersed in the sea.
A big part of the festive celebrations includes singing devotional songs, performing aartis, fireworks, etc. The main highlight of the entire festival is certainly Lord Ganesha’s prasad ‘Modaks’. Many places also have ‘Puran Poli’ and ‘Karanji’ in their prasad.
Eco Friendly Ganesh Idol Made of Beetle Nut
Image Credit: RAMNIKLAL MODI
Ganesh idols are placed in exquisitely adorned ‘pandals’ in homes, temples and also in public spaces. Huge pandas with very tall idols are quite popular, especially in Mumbai. Each year these pandals are also decorated with elaborate themes and see many devotees. All these idols are immersed in the water as the devotees chant- ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya’ which translates to ‘Hail Lord Ganesha, come soon next year.’ You can witness these special celebrations in person by picking among the best India tour packages right now.
Apart from the public-pandal celebrations, bringing the Ganpati idols home is a very common traditional practice. Some devotees bring the idols home for 1 ½, 3 5, 7 or 10 days. Friends and families visit each other’s homes for Ganpati and celebrate the festival together.
Several states in India grandly celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. Since the Covid rules & regulations have eased in India, Ganesh Chaturthi 2022 is going to be a grand affair this year. These are some of the ways Indian states celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi:
Maharashtra:
Image Credit: Snehal Jeevan Pailkar
Ganesh Chaturthi is the biggest festival in Maharashtra. This is the place where you can witness the authentic Maharashtrian ‘Ganesh Utsav’ celebrations. Maharashtra has some of the most famous pandals like ‘Lalbaugcha Raja’ in Lalbaug (Mumbai), ‘Mumbaicha Raja’ in Lalbaug (Mumbai), ‘Parelcha Raja’ in Parel, Mumbai, ‘Shree Kasba Ganpati’ in Kasba Peth (Pune), etc. Devotees also visit iconic Ganpati temples like ‘Siddhivinayak Temple’ (Mumbai) and ‘Shreemant Dagdusheth Ganesh Temple’ in Pune. The visarjans of Mumbai city are also quite iconic, with the band processions and the zealous crowd. With our Maharashtra tour packages, you will be able to get a taste of the Maharastra-style Ganpati, with the Nashik dhols, traditional dances and the famous ‘Ukadiche Modak’.
Madhya Pradesh:
Ganesh Chaturthi is also celebrated largely in Madhya Pradesh. The Ganesh temples like the ‘Khajrana Ganesh temple’ of Indore and the ‘Chintan Ganesh temple’ of Ujjain see an influx of devotees as they are quite religious landmarks. The rituals and cultural festivals here are splendid. You can visit these special temples that are part of our Madhya Pradesh tour packages.
Goa:
For your Ganesh Chaturthi 2022 celebrations, a Goa trip would be quite indulgent. Ganesh Chaturthi is popularly known as Chovioth in Goa, but the celebrations are the same. Bhajans, aartis and pujas are performed and sweets like modaks and neuri are distributed. On the last day, the Ganpati idol is immersed in Goa’s sea. once the celebrations are over enjoy the exotic monsoons of Goa with some lovely Goa tour packages.
Ganesh Chaturthi is also celebrated in different states of India like Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, etc.
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations around the World:
Since we know that the Indian population is widespread across the world, they take their festivals with them. Several countries hold celebrations for Ganesh Chaturthi and some countries also have a public holiday for this day.
Mauritius:
Ganesh Chaturthi has been celebrated in Mauritius for more than a century now. This Hindu festival is a public holiday there. Members of the Hindu community there install idols at their homes and temples. Large processions are also carried out and most of the Ganpati idols are immersed in the famous Flic-en-Flac Beach. Our Mauritius tour packages will help you explore the country, that too visa-free for Indians.
USA:
The huge Hindu population of New Jersey celebrates Ganesh Utsav with a lot of enthusiasm in the States. There is no difference in the level of celebrations. Planning to visit the USA at the time of Ganesh Chaturthi, check these USA tour packages to add to the fun but start with applying for the USA Visa as soon as possible.
UK:
In Hounslow, London the Lakshmi Narayan Temple is flooded by thousands of devotees each year. There are traditional foods, dances, competitions, etc. The visarjan procession is taken to the Thames River where the idol is immersed. To enjoy Ganpati but with an angrezi-style apply for a UK Visa, as early as, 3 months in advance.
France:
In France, one can witness Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at the largest Hindu temple Sri Manikka Vinayakar temple. The visarjan is a huge chariot procession that goes through the roads of Paris and back to the temple. You can explore the different kinds of Ganesh Utsav celebrations with the France tour packages. With a Schengen Visa, celebrate Ganpati not only in France but in several other countries like Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands and other Schengen countries that are part of the agreement.
May it be Ganesh Chaturthi or any other Indian festival, the festive spirit is always high. While you visit India with our special India tour packages, be ready to be reeled in by the joyful and vibrant mood of the country.
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