Ganesh Chaturthi has special significance in Hinduism. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the every Chaturthi of Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapas month. The festival of worshiping and pleasing Lord Ganesha is starting from September 10 this year. Lord Ganesha will sit on this day and he will be sent off on 19th September i.e. Anant Chaturdashi.
Ganesh Chaturthi importance and History
Ganesh festival is celebrated from Chaturthi to Chaturdashi of Bhadrapada month. The Ganesh festival was organized even in ancient times, we find evidence of this from the period of Satavahana, Rashtrakuta, and Chalukya dynasties. Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj made a new beginning by linking the Ganesh festival with national religion and culture.
Ganesh festival is celebrated from Chaturthi to Chaturdashi of Bhadrapada month. The Ganesh festival was organized even in ancient times, we find evidence of this from the period of Satavahana, Rashtrakuta, and Chalukya dynasties. Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj made a new beginning by linking the Ganesh festival with national religion and culture.
The Maratha rulers continued this sequence of Ganesh festival and during the time of Peshwas, the Ganesh festival continued in the same way. Since Ganesha was the family deity of the Peshwas, that is why at this time Ganesha got the status of the national deity. After the Peshwas, during the British period till 1892, the Ganesh festival was confined to Hindu homes only.
After the revolt of 1857, the British made such a strict law in 1894 after being frightened! Which is called Section 144, which is applicable even today in the same form since independence. That law was such that no more than 5 Indians could gather at any place, that is, they could not perform any work or performance by forming a group. And if any British officer had seen them gathered, then such severe punishment was given that hearing which one would have gone Goosebumps.
They were beaten with whips and nails were pulled from their hands. Due to this law, fear had spread among the Indians.
Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak re-initiated the Ganesh festival to end the fear prevailing in the people towards the English and to oppose this law. And it started with the organization of Ganesh Utsav in Shaniwarwada, Pune. Earlier people used to celebrate the Ganesh festival in their homes, but after 1894 it started being celebrated collectively. Thousands of people gathered in Shaniwarwada of Pune.
Tilakji had warned the British that the British police should arrest him and show him because according to the law, the British police could only arrest the crowd gathered in the political function and not the crowd gathered in the religious ceremony.
In this way, the Ganpati festival was celebrated in Shaniwarwada of Pune for 10 days till 20-30 October 1894. Every day Lokmanya Tilak used to invite some big person for a speech there. On the 20th, the biggest leader of Bengal, Bipin Chandra Pal, and on the 21st, Lala Lajpat Rai of North India reached there. Similarly, the Chapekar brothers also reached there. There were speeches of these great leaders for 10 days. And the main basis of all the speeches was that we should free India from the British. May Ganpati ji give us so much power that we bring Swarajya.
The next year in 1895, 11 Ganpatis were established in Pune, then 31 the next year and the number crossed 100 the next year. After that gradually the Ganpati festival spread to the nearest big cities of Pune like Ahmednagar, Mumbai, Nagpur, etc.
At every Ganpati festival, a crowd of lakhs of people used to gather and the invited leaders used to work to awaken the feeling of patriotism in them. This type of effort was successful and people’s feelings towards the country started increasing. This effort played an important role in uniting the people in the freedom movement. In 1904, Lokmanya Tilak ji had told the people in his speeches that the main objective of the Ganpati festival is to achieve independence, to achieve Swarajya, to drive away the British from the country. There is no justification for the Ganpati festival without Swarajya.
Auspicious time for Ganesh Chaturthi 2021 worship-
The auspicious time of Ganesh Chaturthi Puja will start at 12:17 pm and will continue till 10 pm.
Do not see the moon on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi-
It is believed that on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi the moon should not be seen. Even if you accidentally see the moon, then pick a piece of stone and throw it backward.
Offer Bhog to Lord Ganesha-
While worshiping Lord Ganesha, laddoos of coconut, grass, boondi, sugarcane and Tulsi should be offered. It is believed that doing this pleases Lord Ganesha and bestows his blessings. It is believed that Tulsi had proposed marriage to Lord Ganesha by calling him Lambodar and Gajmukh, angered by this, Ganapati cursed him.
Ganesh Chathurthi Vidhi
To worship Lord Ganesha on Sankashti Chaturthi, first of all, install the idol or picture of Lord Ganesha on a red-colored seat. After this, apply vermilion tilak to Lord Ganesha and offer incense, lamp, scent and fruits and flowers. Lord Ganesha must be offered Durva, but never offer it by sprinkling water from Durva. Lord Ganesha should offer his favorite modaks or laddus. After this, praise Lord Ganesha with the mantras and sources of Ganesh ji. The worship should end with the aarti of Lord Ganesha.
