GANESH CHATURTHI | MUMBAI

The land of many religions and faiths, India has some of the most vibrant and interesting festivals in the world. Each religion has its own unique festival and traditions. In India, the festival season starts in August and continues till the end of the year. And Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most important and much awaited festivals of all. Ganesh Chaturthi, which is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is celebrated in honor of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god. The festival is celebrated on chaturthi or the fourth day of the Hindu month Bhaadrapada. Ganesha festival usually lasts ten days and this year it will start on September 5.

The land of many religions and faiths, India has some of the most vibrant and interesting festivals in the world. Each religion has its own unique festival and traditions. In India, the festival season starts in August and continues till the end of the year. And Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most important and much awaited festivals of all. Ganesh Chaturthi, which is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is celebrated in honor of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god. The festival is celebrated on chaturthi or the fourth day of the Hindu month Bhaadrapada. Ganesha festival usually lasts ten days and this year it will start on September 5.

CELEBRATION OF GANESH CHATURTHI

Ganesh Chaturthi was first publicly celebrated in Pune during the reign of the Peshwas whose family deity he was. But after the fall of the Peshwas, the festival became a private family affair in Maharashtra. Ganesh Chaturthi was revived by Indian social reformer and freedom fighter, Lokmanya Tilak. He popularized the festival and used it as a front for revolutionary activities.  He introduced the practice of immersing the idols in sea, river or other water bodies after the ten days of celebration.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in many parts of the country like Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Karnataka, but people in Maharashtra take this celebration to another level. You must visit Pune and Mumbai during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival celebration to witness the grandeur. The streets are lit and shops are decorated. Huge public pandals are constructed and beautiful clay image of Ganesha is installed. You will see many Ganesha pandals on the streets of Mumbai and many of them follow themes like antiterrorism. Preparation for the public celebration begins months before the festival. The committees putting up these pandals compete with each other to erect the best and biggest pandal and install the biggest Ganesha idol. During the ten days of celebration many competitions are held in these pandals.

In Mumbai, the most famous pandals are Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) Mandal and Lalbaugcha Raja. Thousands of people wait in queue for a glimpse of the beautiful face of Lalbaugcha Raja idol. Located in Lalbaug Market, this idol of Ganesha is believed to be Navsacha Ganpati (the one who fulfills wishes).  The unveiling of Lalbaugcha Raja is a major event and is covered by regional and national channels. Be prepared to wait for long hours to offer your prayers at this mandal.

VISARJAN OF GANESHA IDOLS

The 10-day of puja, competitions, modaks (Ganesha’s favourite food), reciting hymns and the celebration come to an end with the Visarjan, the immersion of the idol in a water body. It is the day when you can see millions of people dancing and travelling to the waterfront with their Ganesha idols in a large procession for visarjan. The procession includes people playing traditional instrument called dhol and tasha. The air reverberates with the chant of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’. The grey sky of the September gets in bright pink with the gulal (coloured powder) thrown by the people dancing in the procession. This grand procession inches towards the sea for visarjan or immersion. In Mumbai, over 150,000 idols are immersed every year.

Traditionally, the idols are immersed in any water body but because of the environmental pollution caused by this process, these days people immersed the idol in a container at home. The idol is left in the container to dissolve and later this water is used in the garden. Different schedule is followed for the immersion. Although there are no specific rules for immersion of the idol, immersion can be done only on some specific days. You can perform the visarjan after one and half day, on third day, fifth day, seventh day or the last day, which is called Anant Chaturdashi. This year one and half day falls on September 6, third day falls on September 7, fifth day falls on September 9, seventh day visarjan falls on September 11 and the last day also known as Anant Chaturdashi falls on September 15.

The visarjan on the fifth day is also called Gauri visarjan. Gauri puja is also performed during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. Gauri puja is performed mainly in Maharashtra. Gauri is goddess Parvati and mother of Ganesha. The idol of Gauri is brought home along with the Ganesha idol during the festival. It is believed that arrival of Gauri brings happiness, wealth, health and prosperity. Devotees decorate the idol of Gauri by dressing the idol in beautiful cloths and with jewellery like necklace, bangles and nose ring. Flowers and garlands are also offered to the goddess. In many parts of Maharashtra, the idol is brought home two days after the start of Ganesha festival and pujas are performed for three days before it is immersed on the fifth day of the festival. In some parts of the state, two idol of Gauri are brought home during the festival. According to a legend, the two idols of Gauri are Ganesha’s sisters and they always follow him.

The first day of Gauri puja is the avahana (arrival), the second day Satyanarayan puja is performed and the third day (fifth day of Ganesh Chaturthi) Gauri idol is immersed in a water body. A pujari is invited to conduct the Gauri puja. After the puja, the goddess is offered rice, a piece of cloth, fruits and flowers. On the night of Gauri puja, women gather to sing Mangala Gauri bhajan and worship the goddess for health and prosperity. This function is for women and taking part in this gathering is considered auspicious especially for newly married women. On the fifth day of Ganesh Chaturthi is Gauri visarjan. The final aarti is performed and special Prasad is prepared before the visarjan of Gauri. Many people immerse Ganesha also on the same day.

After hosting Ganesha for 10 days, people get attached to him and visarjan of the idol is always an emotional process. You will find people with teary eyes bidding adieu to their beloved elephant god. They chant ‘Pudchya Varshi Laukarya,’ which means come again next year.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GANESH VISARJAN?

Ganesha is a supreme being and we bring Him into our house in the form of an idol. After the festival, this idol is immersed in the water, which means He becomes formless again. The festival teaches us that the body perishes but the energy remains.

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