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Tuesday 8 April 2014

Ganesha Festival

Today is the seventh day of 'A to Z challenge'. The alphabet for today is G. My theme is 'Festivals of India'.
Sleeping Ganesha image, very rare

Ganesha Chaturthi is another important festival, which is celebrated with great pomp and show all over India. It is believed that this day is the birthday of  Lord Ganesha. In any Puja or any important ritual, it is Ganesha, who takes a lead.

There is a legend behind his elephant like face.  The story states that his mother, Parvati was going to have her bath. She told Ganesha  not to allow any one enter  her palace. Ganesha stood like a guardian out side  the palace and did not allow anyone to enter inside.When his father Shiva came, Ganesha did not let him inside. In spite of requests, threats and pleading, Ganesha stood like a rock and  allowed no entry inside. Shiva, out of frustration ordered his followers to severe  the head of Ganesha. When Parvati saw her son headless, she could not control herself. Shiva sent his ganas (followers) to go Northwards and  cut the head of any living being, whom they come across. The Ganas brought the head of an elephant. It was immediately fixed on Ganesha’s face.
Ganesha is a favourite with the artists, because of his unusual face. It is a pleasure for them to play with their imagination to show their artistic  creativity. They start making beautiful idols of different shapes and sizes many days before Ganesha Chaturthi. The idols are installed on a high pedestal. A priest recites sacred chants  from the scriptures. On the eleventh day the idol is taken in a procession to river and the idol is immersed in the water with chant, which request the lord to visit them  the following year.

immersion of ganesha
 Ganesha is the favorite God with many households. In our house we have numerous idols of Ganesha in different shapes and sizes.
           
ganesha corner in our house
Words 297
pic courtesy google

38 comments:

  1. Another festival written about in such a nice way...We don't celebrate it so much but ofcourse I know it's a gr8 festival celebrated all around the country...

    Random Thoughts Naba

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  2. The biggest festival in some parts of India... Like the grandeur of the festivities. Thanks for sharing..

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  3. Every year we celebrate Ganesh chaturthi in our home and eagerly wait for doing it again :)

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  4. Ganesh is very close to my heart, I was born during Ganesh Chaturthi :)
    Nice post ..
    I would be happy to share my relation with him to all of you, do read it here http://www.ananyatales.com/2014/03/my-most-memorable-memento.html

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    1. Thanks Ananya Nice to know that you were born on Ganesha Chaturthi.

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  5. The Ganesha corner in your house looks very beautiful Usha, this is one of the most awaited festivals for most of us.

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  6. My husband's family celebrate it with great pomp n glory. That's an interesting story behind Ganesha's head :)

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  7. Another lovely festival with such an interesting write up to explain all the festivities! ♥

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  8. Another favorite festival of mine!!! I love the whole ten days of the festival! I always cry when the Ganesha is sent to the beach to be immersed :(

    ~S(t)ri
    Participant|AtoZ Challenge 2014
    Smile, it makes (y)our day!

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    1. Thanks Stri,. The scene is really sober

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  9. i loved that ganesha corner!! i have a huge collection of ganesha idols in different materials and forms too!! and this is one of my fav festivals!!

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    1. Thanks Titli. In our house every one is a devotee of Ganesha

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  10. Being in Maharashtra, I have seen with how much zeal and vigor the Ganesha festival is being celebrated. Thanks for sharing :)
    Shalzzz|Loving Life
    Check out my latest at TaleofTwoTomatoes

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    1. Thanks Taleof twotomatoes for likingit.

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  11. That's a lovely Ganesha corner in your home! And happy Ram-navami to you, Usha ji, the festival lady :)

    Beauty Interprets, Expresses, Manifests the Eternal

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    1. Thanks Beloo. Thank you for naming me festival lady.

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  12. this is one of my favourite festivals :) and ganesha is my favourite god, ranking next to shiva :D happy ram navami usha ji :)

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  13. It is one of my favorite festivals, the sweet kadubus and modaks and the excitement of decorating the mandap for the puja all make it my favorite. Loved your Ganesha Corner Ushaji :) We have a similar set up in my maternal home and interestingly we live in an area called Ganesha block.

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    1. Wow Ganesha Block. Nice to know that you have a Ganesha corner in your maternal, house.

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  14. Having stayed in Mumbai for many years, we have some wonderful memories of Ganesh Chaturthi. Love your Ganesha corner, Ma'am :)

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    1. Thank you Shilpa for liking the Ganesha corner.

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  15. Yes the Chathurthi festival though observed in the south and I remember from my childhood, but of late its has borrowed the belligerent tone from Maharshtra.
    Ganesh, Yes he is a lovely god, but what put me off was the stupidity people showed after some rumour that Ganesh idols began drinking milk and women queuing at temples and wayside Ganapathi sculptures with milk to feed the distraught and helpless God.

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    1. Thanks Anil. In India such rumours are common.

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  16. One of the most famous festivals celebrated down south. It is a socio-religious festival. where many of us from different communities come under the same pandal for 5 -10 days.We celebrate it in a great way in our condiminium as "ganesh utsav". loved the idea of ganesha corner:)

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    1. Thank you Asha. Every one loves our Ganesha corner.

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  17. Ganpati Bappa Morya.... pudhya varshi lavkar ya !! Lovely !!

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  18. A great post and very well written. I love the Ganesha corner in your home.

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  19. Ganapathi Bapa Mauriya.
    I was in Bombay for two decades and was living on the beach.It was a site during Ganapathi Visarjan

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    1. You have experienced it all. That's fine.

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