Ganesh Chaturthi

Location : Throughout Maharashtra
Time : August
Duration : Ten days
Highlights : Gala celebrations through the state


Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated as the Birth Anniversary of Lord Ganesha, the God of Wisdom and Prosperity. It falls on the fourth day of Bhadrapada, i.e., somewhere between August and September. The festival of Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated with lot of devotion and zest in all the parts of India but with particular interest in Mumbai. As many as 6000 idols of Ganesha are commissioned for Ganesha Chaturthi in Mumbai alone. Besides Mumbai Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Pune in Maharashtra.

The idol of Ganesha is installed at homes and temples and worshipped for ten days. On the last day, a grand procession is carried out and the idol is immersed in the water. Artists make many idols of Ganesha, big or small during the Ganesha Chaturthi. The houses are cleaned up before the idol of Ganesha is installed. The idol is brought home with face covered with a saffron cloth amidst chanting of shlokas.

On the first day the pooja begins at the designated muharat and the idol is placed over a pedestal symbolic of a throne. The priest performs the ritual to imbue life in the idol. The worshipper sips holy water and performs pranayama followed by the Ganapati Aarti and the Atharvashirdha to the accompaniment of conch, cymbals, bells and clapping. Modak, a sweet made of rice flour and sweetened coconut, are offered to the deity along with flowers and incense. For the rest of the days, the idol is worshipped with simple incantation of the Ganesha Stuti, devotional songs in the morning and evening.

It is believed that after ten days of ritual worship, the God returns to his heavenly abode. The Visarjan Ceremony or Farewell Procession is carried out with great exuberance and vigor. The idol of Ganesha is carried by the worshippers to the oceans of Mumbai with the accompaniment of the musicians, dancers, acrobats, singers, priests and onlookers. Coconuts, sweets, flowers and burning camphor cubes are offered to the idol and Aarti is sung before the immersion. The most popular place for immersion of the idol in Mumbai is the Chowpatty Beach at a distance of 1 km from Marine Drive.

History traces the origin of the Ganesha Chaturthi to Shivaji, the Maratha ruler. He initiated the festival to promote cultural harmony and nationalism. Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak later revived the festival and used it as a platform to spread the message of freedom struggle and to resist the British who had put a ban on all public assemblies. Ganesh Chaturthi played a vital role in uniting the Indians and reviving the spirit of oneness. The political leaders used this festival to deliver inspiring speeches and arousing people to fight against the British Rule.