New Delhi: Ganesha Chaturthi is one of the most significant celebrations in India that honours Lord Ganesha every year. The Lord bids the community farewell by immersing his statues in water during the Ganesha Visarjan, the whole 10-day-long celebration is known as Ganeshotsav.
The ongoing practice of the Ganeshotsav celebration has led to the growth of the Ganesha culture, which was originally founded with the intention of promoting religious harmony and unity against the oppressions of the Britishers. The ambiance of Ganeshotsav fills people with joy, happiness, and energy. The making of this ambiance is the collective effort of different agencies and organisations who collaborate to prepare the grandeur of this occasion.
It is said that the start of the culture of celebrating Ganeshotsav with such grandeur was started with Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1894. He started the fashion of what today is celebrated at a grand level with a small idol. The community worship of Ganesha, the endearing, pot-bellied, four-armed God who is believed to remove all barriers from people's pathways and grant them luck, has led to the festival's current transformation into a significant social event and popular tourist destination.
Ganesha Chaturthi, thought to have been popularised by Lokmanya Tilak, has transformed from a private event into a "Sarvajanik Utsav," or public celebration. Tilak's great goal was to use the deity's acceptance by all ethnic groups to bring people together and fight the British Raj. Since then, there has been no turning back, the event has expanded, and Ganesha has outgrown his original, religious form to become a ubiquitous cultural icon.
Numerous Ganesha mandals that host extensive public celebrations for the ten days have grown throughout the years. The Ganesha statues are installed by several mandals as they aggressively compete to add variety and a feeling of modernity to their exhibits. Along with the traditionally painted idol, it's common to see themes drawn from recent events that are noteworthy or popular in our nation. The recent past has witnessed a lot of artistic exploration which undoubtedly adds to the customary celebrations, some of them generally include Ganesha riding a mouse, which is his mount, or a throne. He could be shown upright, holding two hands, having four hands, being flanked by lions, or in any other fantastical way that the idol makers choose.
The Ganeshotsav is a perfect example of the evolution of traditions and the dynamism of culture. This event serves as a platform for Ganesha to evolve from the traditional deity he is in mythology and religion into a god who is incredibly versatile. As a result, Ganesha always shares a connection with his followers on both a personal and communal level.