Ganesh Chaturthi Festival or Ganesh Utsav is celebrated all over India, but the maximum grandeur is witnessed in Mumbai and across Maharashtra.During the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival or Ganesh Utsav ,clay idols of Ganesha are specially prepared and most families in Maharashtra instal an idol in their homes for periods varying from two days to eleven days.Every morning and evening , prayers(Aarti) are performed and hymns are sung.The singing of hymns is a popular event especially for children.The hymns are sung to the clanging of small gongs(Jhanjar) , the sounds of which reverberate throughout the day.But the main puja is performed during the forenoon.
A Special feature of the celebrations in Maharashtra and a few other states is the performance of Shri Satyanarayana Puja on the days.Al thought this Puja is normally performed on a full moon day, when it is a prayer to Lord Vishnu it is performed on any convenient day during the Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration.
To appreciate this occasion ,one must go to Mumbai where preparations begin months in advance .Images of Ganesha are installed individually at homes as well as in public places.Elaborate arrangements are made for lighting and decoration and Ganesha is fervently worshiped for about 7-10 days.On the day of the Chaturthi, the last of the days dedicated to the elephant haded god ,thousands of processions converge on the beaches of Mumbai to immerse the holy idols in the sea.This immersion is a accompanied by drumbeats, devotional songs and dancing.Every year , the largest Ganesha idol is installed at Khairatabad in Hyderabad, which which is more than 30 ft tall.The Ganesha Mahotsav or the Grand festival of Ganesha is the principal festival in Mumbai, the financial capital of India.In Mumbai factories commission the largest of the 6000 or so Ganeshas collectively.Each of these idols can be upto 10 meters in hight, and are prepared on lorries decorated with multi-colored lights.Moreover , small idols of Lord Ganesha are placed in nukkads or street corners and in homes, and pujas are performed daily.The festival started by Shivaji , the great Maratha rular, to promote culture and a feelings of nationalism amongst his subjects who were fighting against the Mughals.After his death the festival was celebrated , but on a smaller scale.In 1894 when the British banned public assemblies, Lokmanaya Bal Gangadhar Tilak considering it the way of spreading the freedom message revied this festival.Ganesha is the god of learning.He is addressed as the 'Remove of Obstacles'(" Vighnaharta").People believe that no enterprise will succeed unless he is invoked.The picture of Ganesha is often found on the doors of houses and printed on wedding cards.During the processions and while immersing people sing," GANPATI BAPPA MORYA, AGLE BARAS TO JALDI AA,"(father Ganesha , next year come again.)
According to the local civic body, total 1, 91,000 idols were installed across the Mumbai city every year of which about 10,350 are at Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandals and 1,80,650 belong to local households.The Lalbaugcha Raja in central Mumbai is the biggest draw. Although the idol in the cramped fish market remains the same each year, corers of devotees flock to this much-hyped pandal to seek boons from the wish-fulfilling deity. Over the years, offerings in gold and silver have increased in direct proportion to high-profile celebrity visits and constant media coverage.
Celebration Pictures of Ganesh Chaturthi Festival or Ganesh Utsav
