New Delhi: In Hinduism, Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayak Chaturthi is a 10-day festival marking the birth of the god of prosperity and wisdom, the whole Ganesh Puja since Ganesh Chathurthi to Ganesh Visarjan is termed as Ganpati/Ganesh Mahotsav.
As per the Hindu calendar, the festival begins on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the month of Bhadrapada (August–September), the sixth month of the Hindu calendar.
The meaning of the name Ganesha/Ganesh can be derived from the words Gana and Ganas, which means, “Lord of the People”, and “Lord of the Ganas,” meaning the chief of Ganas.
The Ganesh Chaturthi celebration is believed to be first celebrated by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj during the Maratha era. Although there are several birth stories associated with him, one of the most pertinent is discussed here.
The Epic Tale Of The Birth Of Lord Ganesha:
One day, Goddess Parvati was getting ready for a bath at her residence on Mount Kailash. She sent Nandi, her husband Shiva's Bull, to defend the door and prevent anyone from entering because she didn't want to be disturbed. Intentionally accepting his position, Nandi promised to carry out Parvati's instructions. But because Nandi was first and foremost loyal to Shiva, he had to let him in when Shiva arrived home and understandably wanted to enter. Parvati was upset at this affront but even more than this, that she had no one as faithful to Herself as Nandi was to Shiva. She then made Ganesha by reanimating the turmeric paste (used for washing) from her body and claiming him to be her own loyal son.
The next time Parvati wanted to bathe, she assigned Ganesha to stand to watch at the entrance. Shiva eventually returned home, only to be told he couldn't get inside by this odd boy! Shiva was enraged and sent his army to kill the boy, but they all failed! Being the son of Devi, Ganesha possessed such power!
Shiva was shocked by this. As soon as Shiva saw this was no ordinary youngster, he chose to engage in combat. He removed Ganesha's head in his divine fury, instantly killing him. This infuriated and offended Parvati to the point where she made the decision to wipe out the entire Creation. Being the Creator, Lord Brahma naturally had concerns about this and begged her to rethink her extreme idea. She promised to, but only if two requirements were fulfilled: first, Ganesha must be revived; and second, he must always be worshipped above all other deities.
Shiva accepted Parvati's demands and realised his mistake. With instructions to bring back the head of the first creature he crosses whose head is laying northward, he dispatched his devoted followers. They soon came back with the mighty elephant head, which Shiva put on Ganesha's body. Ganesha was given fresh life by the god, who then claimed him as his own son and elevated him to the position of being foremost among the gods and head of all ganas (classes of beings), Ganapati.