Every year Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated all over India with full rituals and enthusiasm, and this year on 10 September Ganesh Mahotsav has started. The festival will conclude on September 21. Devotees have established Ganpati in the house with gaiety. Although this festival is celebrated all over the country but mainly it is celebrated with great pomp in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha, Goa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. People do not establish Ganpati ji in their homes with temples. Some bring Ganesh ji to their home for 2 days, some 5 days and some for 11 days. Modak is also offered to Lord Ganesha because it is said that Lord Ganesha loves Modak.
Why Ganesha is worshiped before any worship
According to Hindu religion, Lord Ganesha is worshiped before starting any worship recitation. According to a legend, Goddess Parvati orders her son Lord Ganesha to guard her chambers. Following the orders, little Ganesha prevented Lord Shiva from entering the chambers, which angered the Lord and cut off Ganesha’s head. This angered Goddess Parvati and she asked Lord Shiva to revive her son or she would destroy the entire universe. Lord Shiva then replaced the head of Lord Ganesha with the head of an elephant baby, granting him the blessings to worship before anyone.
Another reason is that once there was a race between Lord Ganesha and his elder brother Lord Kartikeya. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati asked both the brothers to go round the world and whoever does it first would be the winner. While Lord Kartikeya starts his race, thinking that Ganesha is slow and will never be able to come first. On the other hand Ganesha goes to his parents and starts roaming around them, then when Shiva-Parvati asks him the reason for this, Ganesha replies saying that his parents are his world. Impressed by his love for parents and wisdom in winning races, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati blessed Lord Ganesha with the fruit of knowledge with immortality.
Why is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated?
Lord Ganesha was born on this day. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on this occasion. There are many other mythological stories behind this.
According to a legend, once Maharishi Ved Vyas asked Ganesh ji to write for the composition of Mahabharata. To which Ganesh ji said that when I start writing with my pen, I will not stop anywhere in the middle and if the pen stops then I will stop writing.
After which Ganeshji started writing the Mahabharata and after 10 days he finished this work on Anant Chaturdashi. For these 10 days, Ganesh ji kept writing the Mahabharata by sitting in the same posture, due to which this festival is celebrated for 10 days.
According to some historians, the Satavahana, Rashtrakuta, Chalukya kings started the practice of Ganeshotsav in Maharashtra. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj used to worship Ganeshji and he started celebrating this festival to promote his culture and nationalism. At the same time, after Shivaji Maharaj, the Peshwa kings promoted Ganeshotsav.