Ganeshotsav this year falls on 15th september. How are you planning to celebrate?

Question

Ganeshotsava this year is from the 15th of september to the 25th. How are you planning to celebrate it and what kind of preparations are you doing?

What does this festival signify?
What are the different customs and rituals followed in different parts of the country where this festival is celebrated?
I would also like to know what is your first reaction when you see Ganesha?
Aint he the cutest and the cuddliest of all?

Answer 1

Ah yes!

well we celebrate ganeshotsava at home by installing a clay idol of ganapati for 10 days and performing the sthapana pooja on the first day with an assortment of delicacies as well as all the upacharas. This continues for the 10 days and then on the last day we perform the visarjan pooja and then immerse the idol into a natural reservoir of water. During these 10 days we have different sringaars for the idol with different flowers and durvas.

For this year we hav ealready selected the idol and I have already made ornaments for the idol and am in the process of making a makeshift temple by carving out thermocol. Mom is already preparing the list of bhogs to be prepared so that no item is repeated.

Ganesh happens to be my favorite and I am very much looking forward to his gracing my home. Eagerly awaiting HIS arrival.

Love HIM.

Answer 2

Philosophical significance of Ganesha's form

Ganesha's elephantine head and human body are explained as follows in the Mudgala Purana:

tvaMpadaM narashcha tatpadaM gajashcha etayorabhedAtmako
gaNeshadehaH pratyakshhabrahmAtmakatvAt.h ||

Ganesha's human body representing "tvam", His elephantine countenance representing "tat" and their joining together signifies the nondifference of "tvam" (You) and "tat" (Brahman). Thus, the body of Ganesha is the visible representation of the highest reality, Brahman, realized from "tat tvam asi."

Another explanation has it that Ganesha's head signifies Atman the Highest Reality, while the body below the neck represents mAyA, the principle of phenomenal existence. The Atman's involvement with the world is characterized by the assumption of mind and speech.

Ganesha's ears, which appear like large winnowing baskets, have a philosophical significance too. Just as one uses a winnowing basket to separate grains from dirt, one must use discrimination (viveka) to separate the real (Brahman) from the unreal (mAyA) in life. Here the grains stand for Brahman and the dirt signifies mAyA. Or, Ganesha's ears indicate that such discrimination between Brahman and mAyA is to be gained by taking recourse to shravaNa or hearing. Listening to the scriptures from a Guru will lead to proper discrimination and Brahman realization.

GaNapati's vehicle is the mouse, although a form called Heramba-GaNapati is depicted as riding a lion. There are also rare references to the peacock as the vehicle in some texts.

The significance of the mouse (muushhaka) as the vehicle of Ganesha is explained by the Mudgala Purana.

IshvaraH sarvabhoktaa cha choravattatra saMsthitaH
sa eva muushhakaH prokto manujaanaaM prachaalakaH
maayayaa guuDharuupaH san.h bhogaan.h bhuN^kte hi choravat.h ||

The Lord (Ganesha) resides in all things and experiences everything. He is called muushhaka because He operates unseen like a thief, concealed by maayaa, and experiences all phenomena.

Celebration-
During the Ganesha festival, a household worships a murti of Shri Ganesha. The worship lasts an odd number of days (from 1 to 11 days, sometimes 13).

This festival starting with the installation of beautifully engraved (sculptured) Ganesh idols in colorfully decorated homes and mandapas (pendals). The mandapas has been depicted by religious themes or current events. The idols are worshipped with families and friends. An enthusiastic spiritual atmosphere prevails.

The main sweet-dish during the festival is modak, also known as modagam [kozhakottai] in South India and karanjis. A modak is a dumpling made from rice flour/wheat flour with a stuffing of coconut, jaggery and some other condiments. It can be either steam-cooked or fried and the coconut can be fresh/dry grated. A karanji is similar but has the shape of the 4th day moon.

There are also public celebrations of the festival, with local communities (mandals) vying with each other to put up the biggest murti. The festival is the time for a lot of cultural activities like songs, dramas and orchestra.

Wordly meaning of MODAK — MODA means happiness and K is a suffix. Modak means "That which gives (or brings) happiness".

Today, the Ganesh Festival is not only a popular festival - it has become a very critical and important economic activity for Maharashtra. Many artists, industries, and businesses survive on this mega-event. Ganesh Festival also provides a stage for budding artists to present their art to the public.-

Answer 3

There is a traditional way of performing Pooja and we shall follow it. Various Vanowshadhi Sanchayana (Mixing and performing pooja with Herbal related plant leaves) is a part of pooja. Ask your elders. May be it is celebratted in many parts with Loud speakers, dancing programmes etc. but in houses according to the tradition.

Answer 4

Iam going to celebrate it grandly.

Answer 5

fasting dear...