A puja can only become
a festival when people of this society embrace it as their own celebration. A
festival is not celebrated for any individual, it is for all. Every religion,
every caste of a society rejoice their life in a festival. Ganesh puja is one
of them. Whenever we start any business or any good work we worship Ganesha, the
god of beginnings, wisdom and knowledge.
Ganesha means Gana Isha:
Lord of Ganas. This elephant headed Hindu god demolishes all the hardship and
brings a new dawn to the society. To the Indians he never grew up and always remains
as ‘Bal Ganesha’, who loves sweets especially laddus made with pure ghee.
Many legends have been
spoken about this most beloved god of Hindu religion. In ‘Purana’ it is said
that Lord Ganesha was the son of goddess Parvati, who was the wife of Shiva, created
Ganesha out of sandalwood paste and breathed life into the figure. She then set
him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. When Lord Shiva was not
allowed to enter the room he got furious and asked his followers, Ganas to
teach the child some manners. Ganesha, who was very powerful easily defeated
Shiva’s followers and declared that nobody was allowed to enter while his
mother was bathing. Shiva couldn’t face this defeat and beheaded the child.
Seeing Parvati in anger Shiva promised that her son would be alive again. Shiva
asked devas to search for a head of a dead person facing north, but they found
only the head of a dead elephant. They brought the head of the elephant and
Shiva fixed it on the child’s body and brought him back to life. Lord Shiva
also declared that from this day the boy would be called Ganesha, Gana Isha, lord
of Ganas.
According to the ‘Linga
Purana’, Ganesha also named as ‘Vighnakartaa’ (obstacle-creator) in the path of
Rakshasas (demons), and ‘Vighnahartaa’ (obstacle-averter), who helps devas to achieve
fruits of their hard work.
Ganesha has been
considered as the first writer of the society. He wrote the greatest epic of
all time, The Mahabharata; initially it was named as Vijay (the battle of victory).
It is believed that sage Vyasa dictated the whole Mahabharata without a pause (as
one of the conditions) to Ganesha, who then wrote it and made it immortal. Before
Mahabharata every stories were conveyed with mouth, ‘Shruti’, nothing
written.
Ganesha was not only a
knowledgeable person but also very intelligent and clever. One day his parents,
Shiva and Parvati asked him and his brother, Kartik, to compete each other as
who can take a complete round of this world first. Kartik took his Peacock and
made a round of this world but when he came back he saw Ganesha was sitting besides
his parents and won the competition. Taken aback by this situation Kartik
sought explanation from his parents about his brother’s win. They said that
Ganesha took a round of his parents and won this competition. In Hindu religion
it is said that if anyone takes a round of his parents are considered as a
person, who view the whole world without going anywhere.
From ‘Purana’ to real
life everywhere he is always being worshiped as a most beloved deity. King like
Shivaji started Ganesh puja in public sphere and then later Bal Gangadhar Tilak
took this festival to a new level. Ganesh puja celebrated throughout the India.
Apart from India other countries like Nepal, Bhutan, UK, and Philippines
celebrate this festival with purity. This festival is being celebrated for more
than a week every year and many idols are made for public display in pandals. Most
people visit those pandals wearing new dresses and pay respect to the idols.
Here also fashion has a
big role to play. Keeping the grandeur of this puja in the mind Indians throng
to the pandals wearing new dresses and multiply this grandeur many times. Fashion
designers make dresses keeping this festival in their mind. Sarees, salwars,
kurtis, lehengas are being designed during this time in all new avatars. Women
attires find new meaning here. This time of the year Indian apparel markets see
an ascent graph and boost the industry for betterment.
Society embraces a festival for the sake of
enjoyment. One festival comes and goes but the main essence of a festival
remains forever. We celebrate festivals not for a personal gain but to keep
every misfortune behind and look ahead. http://www.drapeethnic.com/
wishes
you all a very warm and happy Ganesh Chaturthi.
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