Essay On Ganesh Chaturthi 400 Words
Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival. It is celebrated all over India. It is said that during the festival, Lord Ganesha showers his blessings on us. Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the God of knowledge, wealth, prosperity, and riches. Every year Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in the months of August or September. This mega-occasion lasts for 11 days.
The festival is dedicated to Ganpati or Ganesha the elephant-headed God of wisdom. Ganesh Chaturthi was started by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja in Maharashtra, to encourage unity among people and love towards the nation. Later in 1893, Bal Gangadhar Tilak altered the festival into a large public celebration. Slowly Ganesh Chaturthi gained importance as a national festival.
Large idols are seen during the festival. Before a few months of the festival, skilled artisans prepare clay models of Lord Ganesha to sell them. They are beautifully colored and decorated. Through idol, Lord Ganesh is shown in various postures. The size of these idols differs from a few inches to over 25 and 30 feet.
The festival begins with placing Lord Ganesha’s idols in houses and in pandals. The pandals are decorated specially for the festival. Decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. are arranged on the basis of the theme. Daily at a certain fixed time, bhajans and aartis take place. People take part in aartis with great devotion. Every person who enters the pandal is given Bappa’s prasad. The priest carries out Ganesh puja and offers jaggery, coconut, modakas, and red flowers.
Immersion of the idol is done on the 3rd, 5th, or 7th day. On the 11th day, the big idols of Lord Ganesha are taken through the streets in a procession. People dance, sing, and enjoy loud music. Fireworks take place. The idols are immersed in a nearby lake, river, or sea. This marks the end of the festival.
Immersing the idol explains the see-off of Lord Ganesha in his journey towards his house in the Kailash Mountains. It is believed that He takes away with him the sufferings and troubles of his devotees. People come together in this ending procession shouting, βGanapathi Bappa Morya, Pudhachya Varshi Laukar yaβ.
Today, Ganesh Chaturthi is Chaturthi is not only a popular festival but also it has become a very important activity to earn money for a large number of people. Several artisans, craftsmen, industries, and businesses depend for their livelihood on this festival.
Essay On Ganesh Chaturthi 300 Words
The ten-day Ganesh Festival is celebrated with full enthusiasm and spirit, particularly in Maharashtra. The festival lasts for ten days. It starts with the Ganesh Chaturthi of the Marathi month Bhadrapad and ends on Anant Chaturdashi. Ganesha is supposed to be the son of Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati. The deity has the body of a human being with the head of an elephant. He has a big belly. The mouse is supposed to be his vehicle. Ganesha is the main deity of Hindus. He is the God of wisdom and prosperity and remover of all obstacles. So he is called as VighnaHarta’. His prayer is performed at the beginning of each and every auspicious occasion or work. This deity has only one tooth, so he is also famous as ‘Ekdant’.
This festival was initiated by the late Shri Lokamanya Tilak to build the spirit of nationalism among the people. Since then the festival is being celebrated every year on a grand scale. Earlier this was purely celebrated at home. Lokamanya Tilak’s main intention of starting the Ganesh Utsav was to awaken the Indians. He wanted to create the feeling that just as the deity eliminates our personal difficulties, he can also bless us with freedom. We could easily fight the British Government if we were united. He was successful in achieving this goal to a great extent. The Ganesh Utsav of Pune city is especially famous.
The Ganesh Utsav is very popular in Maharashtra. All the Ganesh temples are decorated during this ten days festival. His idols are installed in the houses as well as at various places. Huge pandals are erected. Attractive decorations are done. Entertainment programs and cultural events are organized. Different kinds of competitions are conducted. A large number of people gather around to either participate in these competitions and programs or to enjoy them. The roads get overcrowded.
On the last day of this grand festival, the idols are immersed in water. Long and eye-catching processions are organized on this day. The idols are decorated and mounted on chariots. People dance to the tunes of dhol and lezim. Thus the ten days festival of faith and zeal comes to an end. But the sweet memories of this occasion keep on lingering for many days.
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