In Maharashtra, Ganesh Chaturthi is a big deal. Lord Ganesh also known as Lord Ganpati is the God of Arts and Sciences. Lord Ganesh is considered to be the most powerful of all the gods. Which is why when we have major rituals and events, we begin by praying to Lord Ganesh. Lord Ganesh is a beloved god because of his sharp, playful and mischievous nature. Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesh and pays tribute to his ever inspiring wit and strength.

The Ganesh Chaturthi Festival lasts for ten days. We will be sharing with you several stories surrounding this festival. The first day of the festival is on September 7, 2024 this year. As of the posting of this article people have begun searching for the right Ganesh Statue to bring home for the festival.

Lore behind the birth of Lord Ganesh

There are several stories behind the birth of Lord Ganesh but we will share with you the most interesting one.

According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Parvati the wife of Lord Shiva the Destroyer created Ganesh from the sandalwood paste she used for her bath and breathed life into him.

She assigned him the task of guarding her door while she bathed. When Lord Shiva, Parvati’s husband, returned and was denied entry by Ganesh, a fierce battle ensued, resulting in Ganesh’s head being severed with Lord Shiva’s Trishul (trident).

This devastated Goddess Parvati. To pacify the grieving Parvati, Shiva promised to bring Ganesh back to life. He approached Lord Brahma the Creator of the Universe for a solution. He suggested Lord Shiva to find the the first living being that came his way which lay with its head facing north.  Lord Shiva instructed the other gods and his followers to bring the head of the first creature they encountered under this condition.

Lord Vishnu the Operator sent his Sudarshan Chakra (disk like weapon) to find a head that matched these condition. The first head that the Sudarshan Chakra found was that of an elephant. Lord Vishnu was summoned by the disk to see the beautiful face of the elephant and Lord Vishnu agrees that it is a face fit for the lord. He sends the disk to cut the head off and places it in his vehicle the Garuda (Eagle) and transports it back to Lord Shiva.

The family of the elephant pleads to Lord Vishnu that the elephant had done nothing wrong and his wife and child will suffer at the loss and so Lord Vishnu brings back to life the elephant with his power. Furthermore he blesses the elephant and his family a long, happy life. Thus satisfying the needs of both Lord Shiva and the family of the elephant.

The Garuda takes the head of the elephant to Mount Kailasa where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati reside. Lord Shiva placed the head and fused it with the body of Lord Ganesh. Goddess Parvati was rejoiced to know that her beloved son was alive and thanked the gods for their help. Lord Shiva then apologised to Ganesh for the misunderstanding and embraced his son. He then requested each of the gods to bless his son. He bestowed Lord Ganesh with an infinite boon that Humans will begin all puja (prayer ritual) or any auspicious event by worshipping Lord Ganesh first or the Puja ceremony will not be considered complete.

Thus, Ganesh was reborn with an elephant’s head and was blessed by Shiva to be worshipped first before any other deity. The head of the elephant symbolises wisdom, intelligence and memory.

Modern day

In our times Lord Ganesh is a hero of the masses. Mr. Ganesh Bhopi is a prominent local businessman in Panvel. Being a devotee of Lord Ganesh he organises several exhibitions and events during the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival.

One such exhibition is for the sale of the Ganesh Murti (statue). People from all over the city flock here to buy the best statue to bring home for the festival. The prices start from Rs. 1000 and go up to prices that are hard to quantify. However it is not the price that matters but the sentiments behind the reason to buy these statues. The sizes of these statues also vary from as little as 15 inches all the way to 40 feet depending on the requirement.

Each year people bring home these statues to host Lord Ganesh in their homes. Ganesh Chaturthi means the birthday of Lord Ganesh and people invite Lord Ganesh to their homes to pamper him. He is amongst the most revered of gods and beloved too.

Along with the statues people also purchase a Makhar which is a platform or a throne for Lord Ganesh. Some people make it a project and make their own Makhar out of craft materials.

The festival lasts for ten days but in modern times people have other commitments so only those who are capable host the event for ten days. People can host Lord Ganesh for less than ten days but the rule is that it cannot be an even number of days unless its 10 so some people keep Lord Ganesh for 1.5 days, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, 9 days or 10 days.

People decorate their homes with lights and flowers and light incense to freshen up the spaces. Some communities do it at a larger scale and we will share with you the story behind that in a future article but for now check these decorations out for an idea of the scale.

Each day the Lord is hosted the head of the host family must rise early to lead the prayer for him and the rest of the family must join him in prayer. Some family members fast throughout the day. There are several delicacies that are offered to the Lord during the festivals. Modaks specifically Ukadiche Modak made which are steamed sweet dumplings are considered to be the lord’s favourite and are a must during this festival.

Over the course of the festival we will be sharing the names and the recipes of each of these delicacies for you try at home. For now we have already posted a recipe for Puran Poli another sweet delicacy made at home during festivals.

Once the period of hosting is over the host family takes the statue to the nearest water body usually a river or the ocean and immerses the statues wishing Lord Ganesh goodbye until next year. The host family requests Lord Ganesh to come back again next year so they can pamper him on the occasion of his birthday and he blesses them with wealth and prosperity.

We will be covering more of this festival as it unfolds. Stay tuned for more stories, recipes, cultural anecdotes and much more.

The exhibition organised by Mr. Ganesh Sitaram Bhopi (Aadaikar) is held each year at this address:

Opposite DMART Plot No 42 & 45, Vijay Marg, Sector 5, New Panvel East, Panvel, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra 410206

Mr. Ganesh Sitaram Bhopi (Mobile): +919702296100, +919322100291

Thank you for reading Happy Ganesh Chaturthi, let the festivities begin!