Ganesh Chaturthi Festival 2020 ,images,How, When and Where to Celebrate
2020 Ganesh Chaturthi Festival
How, When and Where to Celebrate the Ganesh Festival in India.
This spectacular festival of Ganesh Chaturthi honors the birth of the beloved Hindu elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha, popularly worshiped for his ability to remove obstacles and bring good fortune. The festival is celebrated in a very public manner. Local communities compete with each other to put up the most impressive Ganesha statue and display. Expect very crowded streets, filled with boisterous devotees, and lots of music.
Ganesh Chaturthi Festival Dates
The festival takes place late August or early September, depending on the cycle of the moon. It falls on the fourth day after the new moon in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. In 2020, Ganesh Chaturthi is on August 22. The festival extends over 10 days with the biggest spectacle happening on the last day called Anant Chaturdashi, which falls on September 1, 2020.
How is it Celebrated?
The festival begins with the installation of huge elaborately crafted statutes of Ganesha in homes and podiums, which have been specially constructed and beautifully decorated. Artisans put months of effort into making the statues. It's forbidden to look at the moon on this first night as legend had it the moon laughed at Lord Ganesha when he fell from his vehicle, the rat. On Anant Chaturdashi (the last day), the statues are paraded through the streets, accompanied by much singing and dancing, and then immersed in the ocean or other bodies of water. In Mumbai alone, more than 150,000 statues are immersed each year!
What Rituals are Performed?
Once a statue of Lord Ganesh is installed, a ceremony is undertaken to invoke his holy presence into the statue. This ritual is called the Prana Pratishtha, during which a number of mantras are recited. Following this, a special worship ceremony is performed. Offerings of sweets, flowers, rice, coconut, jaggery, and coins are made to the God. The statue is also anointed with red Chandan powder. Prayers are offered to Lord Ganesha every day during the festival. Temples devoted to Lord Ganesha also organize special events and prayers. Those who have a Ganesha statue in their house treat and care for him as a much-loved guest.
Why are the Ganesh Statues Immersed in Water at the End of the Festival?
Hindus worship idols, or statues, of their gods because it gives them a visible form to pray to. They also recognize that the universe is in a constant state of change. Form eventually gives away to formlessness. However, the energy still remains. The immersion of the statues in the ocean, or other bodies of water, and subsequent destruction of them serves as a reminder of this belief. It teaches that everything is temporary in life and that it's sometimes necessary to let go of things we love.
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