Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Date, history, significance, celebrations and all you need to know about Vinayaka Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Know all the details about the date, history, significance, and celebrations of the 10-day festival of Vinayaka Chaturthi.
The auspicious Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated annually with pomp in India. Also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav, the day marks the birth of Lord Ganesha and is observed for ten days by devotees. It falls annually on the Chaturthi tithi of Shukla Paksha. The last day of the 10-day celebrations is marked as Ganesh Visarjan. On this day, devotees immerse Lord Ganesha's idols in water. While Ganesh Chaturthi is commemorated all across the country, it happens on a grand scale in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka, especially in cities like Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad. If you are celebrating the festival with your family, know about its date, history, significance, and celebrations inside.
(Also Read | Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Know rituals, puja samagri, Ganesh aarti, citywise shubh muhurat, dos and don'ts, and more)
Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 Date:
Ganesh Chaturthi begins on September 19 and ends on September 28. The Ganesh Puja muhurat will start at 11:01 am and end at 1:28 pm on September 19. Additionally, the Chaturthi Tithi will start on September 18 at 12:39 pm and end on September 19 at 1:43 pm, says Drik Panchang.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 History and Significance:
Lord Ganesha is the god of wisdom, knowledge, prosperity and happiness. As per the legend, Maa Paravati created Lord Ganesha with sandalwood paste. It is believed that she left Lord Ganesha to guard the place while she was taking a bath. Since Lord Shiva was not present at this time, he did not know about this arrangement. When he returned, he was surprised to find Lord Ganesha outside the place where Maa Parvati was taking a bath. When Lord Ganesha did not allow Lord Shiva to enter the place he was furious and severed Ganesha's head. Maa Parvati was infuriated to see this and took the Kaali avatar while threatening to end the world. After finding the truth, Lord Shiva requested his men to fetch the head of a child whose mother was looking the other way. His men returned with the head of a baby elephant and gave it to Ganesha. That's how Lord Ganesha came to be known as the elephant-headed god.
Ganesh Chaturthi holds immense spiritual and cultural significance for Hindus. Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, is believed to bless his devotees with wisdom, success, and good fortune. Devotees seek Lord Ganesha's blessings before starting any work, exam, wedding or new job.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 Celebrations:
Ganesh Chaturthi is marked with much fervour across the country, especially in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka. To celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, people bring idols of Ganpati Bappa to their homes for one-and-a-half days, three days, seven days, or ten days. The festival ends with Ganesh Visarjan, during which devotees immerse Lord Ganesha's idols in water with heavy hearts, wishing for Bappa to return next year. Huge processions are held during Visarjan with people chanting ' Ganapati Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya'.
Devotees also observe a fast during Ganesh Chaturthi. While some people keep it on the first and last day, others observe all ten days.
