Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganpati Bappa Morya! (Lord Ganesha Bless Us)

Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi is a 10-day festival celebrating Lord Ganesha annually. The festival marks the arrival of our Ganesha ji to earth with his mother, Parvati, from Kailash Parvat.

The festival makes for a good, positive, and welcoming change, opening the way for the festive and celebratory season of October-November. People usually celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi by installing the Ganesha idol in their homes for the festival’s duration and then immersing it in water to mark its end and bid adieu to Ganpati Bappa. 

Entire India and some parts of other countries around the world celebrate this festival. However, the pomp and show with which it is observed in the state of Maharashtra are remarkable.

Lord Ganesha has always seemed more of a friend than God to me. Don’t know if it is because of the ‘My Friend Ganesha’ movie or the naughtiness He symbolizes! It has always been easy to go in front of his idol, blabber continuously, sometimes fight, and other times threatening him to always stand by me.

Ganesha!

Ganapati ji is considered a god of beginnings. People of the Hindu religion pray to him before starting anything new or auspicious. His name Ganesh means ‘Lord of the People.’ Like himself, he has a very mischievous vahana (vehicle), a rat ☺. 

A great leader himself, Ganesha’s body symbolizes a leadership lesson that serves as guidance for us.

• Big Elephant Head

It symbolizes big and broad thinking and a mind filled with wisdom. You will succeed as a leader, and a person at large, if you are wise, open-minded, and not letting petty things bother you.

• Small Eyes

It represents microscopic and focused vision. It is essential to keep your complete focus and keen observance of the tasks at hand.

• Large Ears

Be a good listener! This is how our Ganesha ji listens to all our problems. Listening is a quality often underrated. We all are so occupied with speaking or thinking about what to talk about next that listening to what the other person is saying and what is important takes a back seat. Probably that’s the reason most meetings end with no proper conclusion. Listen – it may make you aware of things you don’t know, and it may make your task much easier.

• Long Nose

It indicates a person always watchful of their surroundings. A leader should be able to smell any unpleasant news from a long distance.

• Broken Tusk

It represents one’s ability to sacrifice. Sacrifice is something of the divine, something done selflessly for the good of others, and shouldn’t be confused with compromise. Our world is surviving to date due to the sacrifices of millions of its children.

• Big Belly

Our Ganesha is a big-time foodie ☺, but he symbolizes the capacity to digest the good and the bad through his big stomach. Ganpati ji wants his children to be people of character who know the importance of filtered thoughts and words. Not everything we take in should be spurted outside!

This Ganesha Chaturthi, let’s fill our Gannu ji’s large ears and big heads with our prayers. Let’s speak to him about our shortcomings and problems and promise him to follow at least one trait we learn from him.

The last message for our readers before we end, if you plan to install an idol of Ganesh ji during the festival, please ensure the make is of clay or other recyclable materials. Our Lord would not want us to pollute the environment in his name. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

Avani Raj Arora