Created from turmeric paste, brought to life by Goddess Parvathi, beheaded by Lord Shiva, replaced by the head of Gajasura (an elephant), brought back to life by Lord Brahma and finally worshipped as Gajanana (God with elephant face). We all know the story of the birth of Lord Ganesha. And it is celebrated as Ganesha Chathurthi all over India with great devotion and enthusiasm.
As we all know this year we celebrate Ganesha Chathurthi on 31 st August. On this day various rituals are performed all over India to worship and receive blessings from Lord Ganesha.
Four main rituals are performed during Ganesh Chaturthi
- Pranaprathishhtha
- Shodashopachara
- Uttarpuja
- Visarjan
Pranaprathishhtha - This is the first ritual of Ganesha Chathurthi. Here the devotees buy Ganesha idols and place them in the pooja. The devotees pray and sing devotional songs to Lord Ganesha.
Shodashopachara - In Sanskrit ‘shodasha’ means 16 and ‘upachāra’ means offering given with devotion. In this part, a 16-step ritual is performed to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha.
Uttarpuja - In this ritual is the last one that takes place just before immersion. This ritual is performed by chanting mantras and offering naivedya.
Visarjan - This is the final part of the ritual. Here the Lord Ganesha is immersed in water. The immersion is a symbolic ritual that is performed to remind the incredible wisdom of Lord Ganesha. It said that Lord Ganesha wrote Mahabharata within 10 days (length of the festival) while being dictated by Sage Vyasa. After completing the epic clay was applied all over his body and he was taken to a river for a bath (Visarjan).
So let us all celebrate Ganesha Chathurthi blissfully and seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha.
Happy Ganesha Chathurthi to you all!