Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated widely all over India and worldwide in remembrance of Lord Ganesha's birthday. Every year the birthday of Lord Ganesha falls between mid-August and mid-September. Whoever worships him with great care, dedication and affection will be blessed by the Lord. Ganesha is well-known for his wisdom, knowledge, and prosperity, and he bestows happiness by fulfilling the desires of the persons who worship him.
There is a story described in the scriptures praising his wisdom. Once, at Kailash, Lord Siva and his consort Parvati had mango, and Ganesha and Karthikeya (younger brother) were fighting for the mango. Lord Siva announced that he would give the mango to the one who goes around the world three times and returns.
Karthikeya was happy (thinking he would be the winner as he had a peacock as his vehicle) and immediately started to do parikrama of the world in his peacock vehicle. But Ganesha had a mouse as his vehicle, and it was impossible to compete with a peacock. So, after thinking for a while, Ganesha did a parikrama of his parents three times (because they are the parents of this universe) before Karthikeyan arrived. Lord Siva was startled by his wisdom, became happy, and gave the mango to Ganesha. Therefore he became famous for his vast knowledge and insight. The person pleasing the Lord Ganesha by singing the glories of the Lord are bestowed with immense expertise to overcome the troubles and problems affecting his life.
How to Perform Lord Ganesha Chaturthi ?
Some people perform the puja alone, and some invite the pandits to their homes to complete Lord Ganesha's puja, not knowing of the puja rules and regulations according to the Vedas. The pandits do the puja and get paid for performing the rituals.
∙ People welcome Lord Ganesha to their abode by bringing the clay model of Lord Ganesha and making a particular asana for the Lord to sit and adorn him in new clothes.
∙ They make a tiny mouse (his vehicle)out of clay and keep it beside him while performing the puja. They chant Sanskrit prayers according to the instructions given in the Vedas.
∙ First, they welcome the Lord seated as a deity (Prana Prathista) and give him Vastra by chanting Vedic hymns.
∙ Then they decorate him with gold and flower garlands, again by chanting the hymns of the Vedas.
∙ After praising him with prayers (praises his bravery), they offer various food varieties, including Modaks(Lord's favorite), Payasam, sweet balls, rice, savories, etc., to please him. Ultimately, they serve him a desert with fruits, offer him Tambula (betel leaves with nuts), and pray to the Lord to forgive his mistakes or wrongdoings while performing the puja.
∙ After this, they sing the kirtan "Ganapathi Bappa Moriya" with Kartals and Mrdanga to please the Lord. According to the Vedas, the Lord Ganesha will bestow the person and his family with wealth, wisdom, and knowledge and fulfill all his desires.
∙ The next day, they will perform the puja called "Yathasthanam," bid farewell to the Lord, and perform Visarjan (immersion of the idol in the lake, water, or well) with some curd rice tied in cloth along with the idol. They pray to the Lord to come and revisit their house the following year.
But in the temple or outside, the festival will last for ten days, and on the eleventh day, Visarjan takes place by immersing the various idols kept for puja in the sea or vast lake or pond. Everyone hopes Vinayaka Chaturthi will bring joy and happiness worldwide by Lord Ganesha's grace.
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