Ganesh Chaturthi:
Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi (Vinyaka Caturth), or Vinayaka Chaviti (Vinyaka Cavit), is a Hindu festival commemorating Lord Ganesh’s arrival on Earth with his mother Goddess Parvati/Gauri from Kailash Parvat. Shri Bal Gangadhar Tilak, popularly known as Lokmanya Tilak, installed Lord Ganesh’s clay murtis privately in homes and publicly on elaborate pandals in Pune in the year 1893. (temporary stages). Chanting of Vedic hymns and Hindu texts, such as prayers and vrata, are among the observances (fasting). Offerings and prasad from daily prayers are distributed to the community, including sweets such as modaka, which is believed to be a favourite of Lord Ganesh.
The festival concludes on the tenth day after it begins, when the idol is carried in a public procession with music and group chanting before being immersed in a nearby body of water such as a river or sea, a practice known as visarjan. Every year, approximately 150,000 statues are immersed in Mumbai alone. The clay idol then disintegrates, and Ganesh is said to return to Mount Kailash to meet Parvati and Shiva. The festival honours Lord Ganesh as the God of New Beginnings and Obstacle Removal, as well as the god of wisdom and intelligence. and is observed throughout India, particularly in Maharashtra and Goa.
Ganesh Chaturthi is also celebrated by the Hindu diaspora in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, other parts of the Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, the United States, and Europe. Every year, Ganesh Chaturthi falls between August 22 and September 20 on the Gregorian calendar.
Along with text readings and group feasting, athletic and martial arts competitions are held in public places.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2022 Date: Wednesday, 31 August
Ganesh Chaturthi history:
Ganesha is Lord Shiva and Parvati’s younger son. There are several stories about his birth, but two of them are the most common.
According to the first story, Parvati created Lord Ganesha out of dirt from her body to protect her in the absence of Shiva. She assigned him the task of keeping an eye on her bathroom door while she took a bath. Meanwhile, Shiva returned home, and Ganesha, who had no idea who Shiva was, stopped him. This enraged Shiva, and after a spat between the two, he severed Ganesha’s head. When Parvati learned of this, she became enraged; Lord Shiva, in turn, promised to bring Ganesha back to life. The devas were sent to find a child’s head facing north, but all they found was an elephant’s head.Ganesha was born when Shiva fixed the elephant’s head to the child’s body.
Another popular story goes that the Devas asked Shiva and Parvati to create Ganesha so that he could be a Vighnaharta (averter of obstacles) for rakshasas (demons) and thus help the Devas.
Ganesh Visarjan/Vinayaka Nimajjanam:
On the last day of the festival, the Ganesh Visarjan/Nimajjanam ritual is performed. In Ganesh Chaturthi 2022 10 days Festival, The final day of the 10-day festival is also known as Anant Chaturdashi. As the name ‘visarjan’ or ‘nimajjanam’ suggests, Lord Ganapati’s idol is immersed (‘visarjan’ or ‘nimajjanam’ means immersion) in a river, sea, or other body of water on this day. On the last day, devotees form processions carrying their beloved God’s idols and perform immersion.
The legend of Ganesh Visarjan/Vinayaka Nimajjanam has an intriguing backstory. On the last day of the festival, Lord Ganesha is said to return to Mount Kailash to join his parents, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Ganesh Chaturthi also symbolises the importance of the life-cycle of birth, life, and death. Ganesha, also known as the Lord of New Beginnings, is also revered as the Obstacle Remover. It is believed that when the Ganesha idol is taken out for immersion, it also takes the various obstacles of the house with it, and that these obstacles are destroyed along with the visarjan/nimajjanam. Every year, people look forward to the Ganesh Chaturthi festival with bated breath.
Ganesh Chaturthi Images: 
