Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha. This auspicious festival falls in the month of Bhadra, according to the Hindu calendar. This year, it will be celebrated on 13 September.
As the story goes, Parvati used sandalwood paste and created Ganesha so that he could guard while she was bathing. Ganesha performed the task with utmost dedication. It is believed that when Shiva returned home, Ganesha didn’t allow him to pass through. In a fit of rage, Shiva severed the head of the child.
Upon learning this, Parvati broke down and Shiva promised to bring Ganesha back to life. He sent his followers to search for a child’s head facing north, but all they could find was an elephant’s head. And that’s how our Gajanana or Ganesha was re-born with an elephant’s head.
Ganesha is known as the God of wisdom, a symbol of new beginnings, the remover of obstacles and the deity of good fortune.
Lord Ganesha is the elephant-headed god with small eyes, large ears and four hands. He holds an axe in the right upper hand (to cut off all bonds of attachments), a rope in the upper left hand (to pull you nearer to the highest goal). The lower right hand signifies blessings (protecting the spiritual path of the supreme), and he holds a modak in his lower left hand (rewards for meditation).
Traditions and Rituals: Weeks before Ganesh Chaturthi, excitement sets in all over the country. People prepare clay idols of Ganesha and paint them in vibrant colours.
The festival begins with Pranapratishhtha, that involves chanting of mantras by a priest. This is followed by a ritual that includes a 16-step ritual known as Shodashopachara Puja. During the puja, offerings that are believed to be a favourite of Ganesha are made to the idol. These include modak, shrikhand, coconut rice, motichoor laddoo, payasam, and medu vada, among others.
Finally, the festival ends with a ritual called Uttarpuja, which involves bidding farewell to Lord Ganesha. After this ritual, the statue of Ganesha is immersed in water. This is known as Ganpati Visarjan — slogans like ‘Ganapati Bappa Morya’ are shouted by devotees to pay respect to Ganesha and keep up with the spirit of celebrations and they bid a revered farewell to Ganesha.
I am mad with love
And no one understands my plight.
Only the wounded
Understand the agonies of the wounded,
When the fire rages in the heart.
Only the jeweller knows the value of the jewel,
Not the one who lets it go.
In pain I wander from door to door,
But could not find a doctor.
Says Mira: Harken, my Master,
Mira's pain will subside
When Shyam comes as the doctor"
She came to the cruel world just to Teach the True meaning of Purity in love, She was neither insane nor clever enough to resist but She was a True Lover
...........
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References: Google, IndianExpress
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