Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganapathi
Ganesh Chaturdashi is Maharashtra’s most significant festival. Ganapathy is also the God of Knowledge and is invoked at the beginning of any function. He is the God that takes care of his devotees from any obstacles (vighnam) hence the name Vighneswara. He is also described as the highest leader (Vinayaka). Ganapathy is said to have had two spouses. Thus he is the master of knowledge and attainment.
While celebrated all over India, it is most complicated in Maharashtra, Goa (Biggest festival for Konkani people all over the world) Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and other areas which were former states of the Maratha Empire. Outside India, it is famous by Newars in Nepal and Tamil Hindus in Sri Lanka.
Origin
The origin of the festival lies in the Holy Hindu scriptures which tell the story of Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha (or Ganapati) (the names mean “Lord [isha] or [pati] of Shiva’s hosts [gana]”) was made by Goddess Parvati, companion of Lord Shiva.
According to the legend, Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of declaration, was away at a war. His wife Parvati hunted to bathe and having no-one to guard the door to her house, conceived of the idea of making a son who could guard her. Parvati made Ganesha out of the sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door and instructed him not to let anyone enter.
In the meantime, Lord Shiva returned from the battle but as Ganesha did not know him, stopped Shiva from entering Parvati’s chamber. Shiva, got angry by Ganesh’s nerve, drew his trident and cut off Ganesha’s head. Parvati emerged to find Ganesha decapitated and flew into anger. She took on the form of the Goddess Kali and threatened destruction to the three worlds of Heaven, Earth and the subterranean earth.
History of Public Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi
In 1894, Lokmanya Tilak himself placed an idol of Lord Ganesh in Vinchurkar Wada, Maharashtra, India and began this practice. Lokmanya Tilak’s aims behind early the public celebration of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi Prior to starting this public celebration, the social situation of the Hindus was not stable. The Hindus were not very keen on practicing their religion. They were disunited. The Indians were cowed down by the primacy of the Westerners. The natural prowess of the Indians was suppressed by this state of affairs.
Observing all of this, Lokmanya Tilak took the plan of starting a public celebration of the festival keeping in mind the below aims. To generate awareness about religion through the programs organized during the public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi among the Hindus Ganapathi Bapa Moriya Pudchya Varshi Laukar Yaa. (Ganapathi, the lord, come again soon next year.)
Rituals and their significance
Before beginning the ritualistic worship, rice (grain) is spread over the seat on which the idol is to be installed. Either a fistful or a mound of rice is used, depending on the local custom. On chant of Ganapati and his ritualistic worship, energy is generated in the idol. This energy saturates the rice on which the idol is placed. If there are two strings of a musical instrument (a stringed musical instrument) of the same frequency, when sound is generated by one the same is generated by the other. Similarly, when frequencies of energy are generated in the rice below the idol, this energy is transmitted to the rice stored in the house. Thus one can eat rice saturated with energy as a sacrament of food (Prasad) throughout the year.
In the 120 days from the full moon (pournima) in Ashadh till that in Kartik of the Hindu lunar calendar, yama frequencies, which have the ability to obliterate and are tama major reach the earth in greater quantities? During this period they are of a greater intensity. However since during the same period that is from the fourth day (chaturthi) in the bright fortnight of Bhadrapad till Anant chaturdashi Ganesh frequencies too reach the earth in greater quantities it helps in dropping the intensity of the yama frequencies. Thus celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi derives the profit from Ganesh frequencies and helps in decreasing the effects of yama frequencies.
Environmental impact
The most serious impact of the Ganesh festival on the natural environment is due to the interest of icons made of Plaster of Paris into lakes, rivers and the sea. Traditionally, the Ganesh icon was sculpted out of earth taken from nearby one’s home. After worshipping the divinity in this earth icon, it was returned back to the Earth by immersing it in a nearby water body. This cycle represented the cycle of making and dissolution in Nature.
However, as the creation of Ganesh icons on a commercial foundation grew, the earthen or natural clay (shaadu maati in Marathi) was replaced by Plaster of Paris. Plaster is a man made material, easier to mould, lighter and less exclusive than clay. However, plaster takes much longer to dissolve and in the course of dissolution releases toxic elements into the water body. The chemical paints used to adorn these plaster icons; themselves have heavy metals like mercury and cadmium.
On the last day of the Ganesh festival thousands of plaster icons are absorbed into water bodies by devotees. These increase the level of acidity in the water and the content of heavy metals. The day after the immersion, shoals of dead fish can be seen floating on the surface of the water body as a result of this sudden increase.
Celebration:
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