Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Sep 5: Arrival of Shravana month, which succeeds Ashadha, heralds onset of festival season for Hindus. The first festival they come across happens to be Nagara Panchami, followed by Rigupakarma, Raksha Bandhan, Srikrishna Janmashtami, Ganesha Chaturthi, Navaratri and a number of other festivals.
Among them, Ganesha Chaturthi, birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha, which falls on Chaturthi of Shukla Paksha (waxing moon) in Bhadrapada month is widely celebrated not only all over India but also the world over. Lord Ganesha, who has hundreds of other names, has the right to get worshipped ahead of other gods in every religious ceremony and he also is the remover of obstacles. He is known with names like Siddhi Vinayaka, Ganapati, Adishwara, Vinayaka, Vighnahara, Gajavadana, NS Lambodara among others.
Ganesha Chaturthi is not important from religious angle alone. It also has lot of cultural richness as Ganesha has also been thought to be ruling wisdom, art, and culture. The festival, which used to be celebrated inside homes of devotees, turned into public occasions of celebration with the interest taken by Balagangadhara Tilak, a freedom fighter, who used the forum of this festival to spread patriotism sine 1893.
For Ganesha Chatuthi, families and organizations begin preparations at least a month in advance. Skilled artists begin to make Ganesha idols two to three months before the festival. By using clay, they begin to make idols which might be as small as six inches or as big as ten to twelve feet tall. In big cities, we an see idols that are as tall as 40 feet. The devotees get Ganesha idols made as per their tastes either in shape, costumes, appearance, paraphernalia etc.
Right from small children to aged people, everyone wants to get involved with Ganesha Chaturthi. They buy new clothes, prepare sweets, and decorate the spot where they want to install Lord's idol. There are no hard and fast rules as to how He is to be worshipped, neither the celebrations need to be backed by austerities. The Lord can be pleased with pure devotion, offering of his favourite food, Modaka, bringing out hidden talent, and eating sumptuous food after initially offering the same to Him. Repetitive chanting of any of Ganesha's names is believed to bring prosperity, good health, and good luck to the concerned. Since times immemorial, great scholars like Vedavyasa, creator of Mahabharat, Tulasidas and others have prominently hailed Him. As per scriptures, even Lord Krishna had celebrated Ganesha Chaturthi.
Married women perform worship of Lord Ganesha's mother, Gowri, a day before Ganesha Chaturthi, which is known as 'Tadige', seeking from her the boon of longevity and good health for their husbands. The occasion is more solemn in nature as compared to Ganesha Chaturthi. Gowri Puja is celebrated in a grander scale in south Karnataka. Repetitive chanting of the Mantra, 'Sarvamangala Mangalye Shive Sarvartha Sadhike, Sharanye Triambake Gowri Narayani Namostute' is said to earn the divine grace of Goddess Gowri.
Over the last century or so, Ganesha festival has acquired pomp and grandeur in place of devotion. Money power, competition to score over rivals celebrating this festival, staking claim over installing largest idol, etc have taken centre stage. Some of the committees holding this festival have huge stock of gold and diamond ornaments for the idol besides being cash rich. Many resort to get idols made of plaster of paris and chemical colours, which are harmful to nature. These have been banned in various states including Karnataka. But reports say that these harmful idols which pollute the environment and water bodies continue to be made and sold.
Ganesha idols are immersed either at the end of the day, a few days later, and even a month after the festival. Normally, every day, cultural programmes, plays etc are performed in the presence of the idol in Ganesha pandals till the immersion ceremony. Particularly in big cities, immersion ceremonies have given rise to communal clashes on several occasions. As such, policemen and administrators are always on tenterhooks till the ceremony ends peacefully. Lord Ganesha's grace is the need of the hour for the world which has been fighting with various problems including terrorism, mistrust between nations, financial problems, wars, environmental pollution and such other problems.