8/7/2019 Ganesha Chaturthi Hindu Festival

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Who is Ganesha?

Perennially happy, playful, unperturbed and wise,this rotund Deity removes obstacles to good endeav-ors and obstructs negative ventures, thus guiding andprotecting the lives of devotees. He is the patron ofart and science, the God inhabiting all entryways, thegatekeeper who blesses all beginnings. When initiat-ing anythingwhether learning, business, weddings,travel, building and moreHindus seek His grace forsuccess. He is undoubtedly the most endearing, pop-ular and widely worshiped of all the Hindu Deities.Ganesha Chaturthi (also called Vinayaka Chaturthi)falls on the fourth day in the waxing fortnight of

the month of Bhadrapada in the sacred Hindu lunarcalendar, which translates to a certain day in August-September. It is essentially a birthday celebrating Ga-neshas divine appearance.

What do people do on Ganesha Chaturthi?

Devotees often fashion or purchase a Ganesha statueout of unbaked clay. Many sculpt Him out of a specialmixture of turmeric, sandalwood paste, cow dung,soil from an anthill and palm sugar. The Deity image

32 hinduism today april/may/june, 2010

Honoring the Lord of BeginningsHonoring the Lord of BeginningsGanesha Chaturthi

soumyasitaraman

During Ganesha Chaturthi, a ten-day festival inAugust/September, elaborate puja ceremonies areheld in Hindu temples around the world honoringGanesha, the benevolent, elephant-faced Lord of Obstacles.

In millions of home shrines, worship is also offered to a

clay image of Ganesha that the family makes or obtains. Atthe end of ten days, Hindus join in a grand parade, calledvisarjana in Sanskrit, to a river, temple tank, lake or sea-shore, where His image is ceremonially immersed, sym-

bolizing Ganeshas merging into universal consciousness.

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8/7/2019 Ganesha Chaturthi Hindu Festival

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Modaka Sweets

These rich, deep fried, fluffy, sweet dollopsare the Mangalorean equivalent of theTamil kollukattai. It is the all-time favoriteof Lord Ganesha, who is described asModaka Hasta, one with the modaka in Hishand.

Preparation time: 10 minutes.

Cooking time: 30 minutesMakes 20 piecesCooking equipment: A wok or deepsaucepan, a perforated ladle, a linedcolander to drain excess oil, a mixing bowland serving plate.

Ingredients4 cups thin beaten rice (poha);1 cup semolina (rava) flour, 1 cup rice flour,1 cup slightly over-ripe bananas, mashed, 1cup powdered jaggery (or brown sugar), 1/8tsp saltoil to deep fry

Method1. Mix all the ingredients together except

the oil.2. Add a little water and knead the mixturegently into a thick paste.

3. Heat the oil in the wok.4. Drop tablespoonfuls of the batter into

moderately hot oil and fry till rich brown.Drain and cool, then enjoy!

soumyasitaraman

shanadressler

Fact & Fiction

FACT:There is not just one path to God

Realization in Hinduism, but many. Tens of

thousands of distinct teaching lineages prescribe

varying combinations of prayer, rites and rituals,

meditation, chanting and the many yogas to

guide followers in their spiritual evolution.

FICTION:Many wrongly believe that Hindus

worship cows. Hindus dont worship cows. They

respect, honor and adore the cow. By honoring

this gentle animal, who gives more than she

takes, Hindus honor all creatures.

Where is this festival most popular?Nowhere is Ganesha Chaturthi observedwith more creativity and enthusiasm thanin Mumbai, India. The city virtually shutsdown as millions of Hindus celebrate.

Why is He Ganesha worshiped first?Lord Brahma declared that any worshipconducted without seeking Ganeshas

blessings would be fruitless. He is con-sidered a loving, playful, protective Deitywhose blessings would grace any endeavor.He is therefore ceremonially invoked be-fore weddings, housewarmings, taking animportant exam, starting a new businessand other important events.

What is His mystical work? Lord Ga-nesha is the God Hindus pray to when

changes occur in their lives as they movefrom old established patterns intonew ones. He is always there tosteady the minds of devotees andopen the proper doors as they evolveand progress.

What makes Him distinctive?Aside from His unique and endear-

ing elephant head, Ganesha carriesan elephant goad to prod us along theright path. He holds a noose to lassofoes of dharma and to draw devoteesclose when they venture off the spiri-tual path. His mount is a mouse. Hisbig belly is said to contain the full-ness of the cosmos. In His hand is amodaka, fruit or other sweet, symbol-ic of enlightened attainments.

is placed in the home shrine amongst tra-ditional decorations. A rite of worship andprayer, called puja, is conducted daily, in-voking the energies of the Deity and invit-ing Him to reside in the clay image. Man-tras are chanted and offerings are madethroughout the puja, including incense,lighted lamps, cooked food (naivedya) ,fruits, durva grass, tulasi and pomegran-ate leavesand flowers, especially red ones.After ten days, a simple puja is performedbefore the statue is taken for a formal de-parture (visarjana). Often entire commu-nities, from dozens to tens of thousands ofdevotees, gather each year for this final day

of ceremony. The icons are carried on an

ornate metal traylarger images are borneon a palanquin by several strong mentoa lake, a river or the sea. There Ganeshais consigned to the water after removingnon-degradable paraphernalia.

What foods are off ered?

Sumptuous foods are specially prepared forGanesha, keeping in mind His elephantinenature and prodigious appetite. People of-fer several varieties of fruits such as man-gos, bananas and sugarcane. Sweets are theelephant-headed Deitys delight, so to ex-press their love families take great pains tomake special tasty treats. Each family has

its recipes.

Tidbits About Ganesha. .

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