GANESH CHATURTHI

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is one of India's most celebrated and revered festivals. It holds immense cultural and religious significance in the country, with millions of Hindus coming together to worship Lord Ganesha. The air of anticipation can be sensed from over a month before the actual festival date since people will be busy buying Ganesha Idols, colors, decorations etc.

People will make huge statues of Lord Ganesha, set them up in streets or special stages called 'mandapam' and worship them for an odd number of days ranging from one to nine days. During this time, there will be bhajans, offerings (prasad), offering food to people and more. At the end of it all, people will carry the statue with great celebrations to a nearby water body and deposit the statue there (Nimajjan).

The roots of Ganesh Chaturthi can be traced back to ancient India, where the worship of Ganesha was prevalent among various sects and communities. Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi (according to Indian calendar) is believed to be the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvathi. There are several names for Ganesha: Vinayaka (The Leader of the Troops), Vigneshwara (One who gets rid of all obstacles), Ganapati and more. According to the Hindu traditions, every kind of worship or puja should start with the worshipping of Lord Ganesha, since it is believed to hold cultural significance and is believed to remove further obstacles along the journey.

Lord Ganesha is believed to be the God of intellect and discipline. According to the Hindu Mythology, there are several stories about Lord Ganesha, without which the festival just seems incomplete.