Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day Hindu festival celebrated in honor of the elephant-headed God Ganesha's birthday. Ganesha (also known as Ganapati) was the younger son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and is known by over 100 different names and is the Lord of arts and sciences and the deva of wisdom. Ganesha's blessings are invoked at most religious ceremonies as he is the one who clears all obstacles to success. He is the donator of fortune and can help to avoid natural calamities.
The holiday is celebrated mainly in the central and western states, like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Goa. It is also marked in the north-eastern state of Assam, in the South: Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and the East: West Bengal and Odisha . The first festival has been publicly held in Mumbai in 1885.
Ganesh Chaturthi Traditions
The main rituals during the festival, which begins on the fourth day and ends on the 14th day of the waxing moon period from mid-August until mid-September, include the process of infusing the deity into Idol, paying tribute to Ganesha, shifting of the idol after its infusion and immersion of the Idol in the river.
Clay idols of Lord Ganesha are made and decorated a few weeks in advance (their size varies from 2 cm to over 20 m). During the festival, believers worship them in colorful pandals (temporary shrines). People offer the idol jaggery, coconut, modak, durva grass, and red hibiscus flowers. On the 11th day, the image is taken through the streets in a procession accompanied by singing and dancing, and then immersed in a river or the sea. During Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, only about 150,000 statues of the deity were dropped in water.
Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai
Mumbai hosts one of the oldest and largest celebrations in the country. The capital city of the state of Maharashtra also boasts some of the most famous Ganapati pandals. Keshavji Naik Chawlin in Girgaon is Mumbai’s oldest Ganpati pandal, which celebrated its 130th anniversary. Chinchpoklicha Chintamani in Chinchpokli was established in 1920. Mumbai Cha Raja in Ganesh Galli is among the most popular pandals. Lalbaugcha Raja idol in Lalbaug draws over 1.5 million pilgrims during Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Visitors are also recommended to stop by Siddhivinayak Temple, the shores of Girgaon Chowpatty, and the Cultural Hub at the Gateway of India, where artists and artisans demonstrate their crafts and hold cultural performances.
Ganesh Chaturthi Food
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations are often associated with sweet foods. Modak is a sweet dumpling made of rice or wheat flour stuffed with grated coconut, dried fruits, and other condiments. Other traditional dishes of different regions include vundrallu (steamed, coarsely-ground rice-flour balls), and panakam (a jaggery, black pepper and cardamom flavored drink).
