celebration of ganesh chaturthi

In Andhra Pradesh, Clay Ganesh (Matti Vinayakudu in Telugu) and Turmeric Ganesh (Siddhi Vinayakudu in Telugu) is usually worshipped at homes along with plaster of paris Ganesha.

Ganesh Chaturthi is the most important festival celebrated in Goa. Observed as the birthday of the elephantgod Ganesha in the Hindu pantheon, Ganesh Chaturthi festival is marked by traditional fervor and gaiety. A festival with a panIndian spread, Ganesh Chaturthi in Goa holds the seat of preeminence among all other festivals.Also known as Chovoth, the Ganesha Chaturthi festival usually falls on the 4th day of Bhadarva ShuklaPaksh of Hindu calendar in (August/September). During the festival, pujas are offered to the idol of Ganesha along with Lord Mahadev and Gouri. On the eve of the Chovoth day, a clay idol of Ganesh is installed in a small pandal called matov made of bunches of betel nut, coconut, bananas and branches of mangotrees.Even though the religious observations are held for a couple of days, the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities may continue for 710 days. On the last day of the festival, the ritual of Visarjan takes place when the idol of Ganesh is carried in a colorful procession and is finally immersed in a water body.The Ganesh Chaturthi festival ushers in a season of joyous celebration all over Goa. Besides the religious significance, the festival is an occasion for family members to reunite and seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha.

Tamil nadu is one of the states where ganesh chaturthi is celebrated in a grand manner.In tamil nadu ganesh chaturthi is known as vinayakachaturthi or pillayar chaturthi. It falls on the fourth day after new moon in the month of aavani.On this day ganesh idols made of clay are worshipped in all homes. It is known as kaliman pillayar.ganesh is decorated with garlands and Bermuda grass known asarukampul in tamil.Modak,ladoo and other dishes are offered to ganesha.People throng ganesh temples all day .Famous ganesh temples in state will be decked up with devotees all day . Huge ganesh idols are installed in public places in the state particularly in Chennai and the idols are not usually more than 13 feet high.Idols are usually made of clay and paper machete as plaster of paris idols are banned by the state government .In many places idols are made of coconuts and other organic products. The idols are worshipped for some days in pandals.and are immersed in the bay of Bengal the following sunday.Tamil nadu police department makes elaborate arrangements for the festival.ganesh chaturthi has become one of the major festivals in tamil nadu especially Chennai.

Kerala is a state where ganesh chathurthi is celebrated in a great pomp.It is also known as vinyakha chathurthi or lamboodhara piranalu. It falls in the mounth of chingam . People worship idols of ganesha and do milk abhishekam. Temples are very crowded and people give for nivedeyam . In each locality their would be fairs,concerts,dance and skit. In the city of thiruvanathapuram a grand procession is held from the pazhavangadi ganapathi temple to the Shankumugham beach with tall statues of ganesh made of organic items and milk which immerced into the sea. Elephant worship is done all over Kerala. In the temples peoples break thousands of coconuts for removing sins.Grand feasts are given to peoples after nivedyam. Streets are fully decorated with flowers and rangolis.

Public celebrations of the festival are hugely popular, with local communities (mandalas) vying with each other to put up the biggest statue and the best pandal. The festival is also the time for cultural activities like singing and theater performances, orchestra and community activities like free medical checkup, blood donation camps, charity for the poor, etc.Today, the Ganesh Festival is not only a popular festival, it has become a very critical and important economic activity for Mumbai, Pune, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. Many artists, industries, and businesses survive on this megaevent. Ganesh Festival also provides a stage for budding artists to present their art to the public. In Maharashtra, not only Hindus but many other religions also participate in the celebration like Muslims, Jains, Christian and others. In Mangalore, there is a belief that the eldest son of the home should be present during pooja.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in the UK by the migrant Hindu population as well as the large number of Indians residing there. The Hindu culture and Heritage Society, UK a Southall based organisation celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi for the first time in London in 2005 at The Vishwa Hindu Temple. The Idol was immersed in the river Thames at Putney Pier. Another celebration organised by an Gujarati group has been celebrated in the SouthendonSea which attracts over 18000 devotees.Annual celebrations also take place on the River Mersey at Liverpool.The festival is similarly celebrated in many locations across the world. The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, an organisation of Hindus based in the US organises many such events to mark the Hindu festivals.In USA, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated by various associations of people from India. (Various Indian Associations of North America and in Temples across USA.)The Philadelphia Ganesh popularly known as PGF is the largest Sarvajanik (fully contributed by public funds) Hindu festival in North America. Since 2005 the festival is conducted every year in Bharatiya Temple, Chalfont, Pennsylvania. The 10 days are marked by processions, devotional programs, cultural events, India filmiorchestra and a weekend carnival. While the Marathi community plays a big role in organising the festival, participation from all communities such as Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, North Indian, Bengali etc. is seen as the reason for its success and uniqueness.

Ganesh Chaturthi was started by Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha ruler, in order to spread traditions and nationalism. It was later revitalised by Lokmanya Tilak (a freedom fighter) to make his message of freedom struggle reach the public. Ganesh Chaturthi did unite Indians leading to revival of patriotism. Since then, this festival is celebrated with brilliance, and the preparations for it begin a month prior to the festivities. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the Chaturthi or the 4th day of the fortnight, as per the Hindu lunar month of Magh, as Lord Ganeshas birthday. Modak are distributed on this day and people have them before the meal. Idols of Ganapati, placed at homes, pandals and temples are offered milk and puja as per customs is performed. These festivities are performed from five to ten days depending upon the traditions of family. This festival is mostly celebrated in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Goa.

The most serious impact of the festival on the environment is due to the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris into lakes, rivers and the sea. Traditionally, the idol was sculpted out of mud taken from nearby one home. After the festival, it was returned to the Earth by immersing it in a nearby water body. This cycle was meant to represent the cycle of creation and dissolution in Nature.However, as the production of Ganesh idols on a commercial basis grew, the earthen or natural clay (shaadu maati in Marathi and banka matti in Telugu) was replaced by Plaster of Paris. Plaster is a manmade material, easier to mould, lighter and less expensive than clay. However, plaster is nonbiodegradable, and insoluble in water. Moreover, the chemical paints used to adorn these plaster idols themselves contain heavy metals like mercury and cadmium, causing water pollution. Also, on immersion, nonbiodegradable accessories that originally adorned the idol accumulate in the layers of sand on the beach.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha, who is worshipped foremost among all Gods. Also famed as Vighnaharta, this god of wisdom, knowledge and prosperity is believed to take all the hardships of a person with him while going. This festival is celebrated with huge pomp and show. It continues from 510 days, the festivities are grand and involve meeting and greeting people. People gift sweets, gold or silver, flowers, clothes as well as dry fruits to their loved ones on this auspicious occasion. Dry fruits are wonderful as gifts on any festival. Since this festival includes fasting and feasting, dry fruits can be incorporated in both of them. Also, they last long and can be an ideal gift that you can send to your loved ones through our online gifting portal in an easy and affordable way.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati. Its believed that on this very day Ganesha was declared superior to all the gods by Lord Shiva and that is why Ganesha is worshipped before all the gods and even before starting something new. And during the festivities, everyone wishes each other and gifts are exchanged, which now have become an inseparable part of every festival. But of all the gifts, gadgets and gizmos remain the most useful gifts in this technology overrated world. These are apparently loved and used by people of every age group. Since this festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most cherished festivals, the gifts presented to your near and dear ones on this occasion must be special. Mentioned below are some of the gadget and gizmo options that you can consider gifting your family and friends.