The festival is observed in the month of Bhadra (mid August-mid September) according to the Hindu calendar and while the festivities continue for 10 days, the actual duration from Ganesh sthapna (placing the idol in homes) to visarjan (immersion of the idol in the holy waters) varies from one household to the other and from one pandal to the other. Some people observe the festival for 1 day with visarjan on the following evening, while others keep the idol for 3, 5, 7, or full 10 days.
Other than the colourful pandals, scrumptious modaks, and almost a week-long traffic on the roads, there are also some interesting facts about Ganeshotsava you probably didn’t know about.
Here’s a list
1.Right/ Left-trunked Ganesh idol
The direction in which the trunk of the Ganesha curls has a
significance of its own. It is believed that an idol with the trunk
curling on the right represents a more fiery and aggressive Ganesha and
hence the puja and 10-day long celebrations are rather strict in nature.
On the other hand, a trunk curling on the left is considered a more
calm form of Ganesha and the preparations and related puja is easy and
slightly relaxed.
2.Hartalika vrat
Dedicated to Goddess Parvati- Ganesha’s mother- Hartalika vrat is
observed a day before Ganesh Chaturthi. Married women as well as
unmarried girls observe fast for the day during which they consume only
fruits or vrat bhojan that is prepared without salt. The vrat
is for the longevity of their husbands (or to-be husbands) and
strengthening their relationship. According to Hindu mythology, Parvati
did a severe penance to please Lord Shiva so that her father doesn’t
marry her to Lord Vishnu against her wish. Lord Shiva eventually granted
her the wish.
3.Number of modaks
These fried coconut and sugar delicacies which are considered Ganesha’s
favourite food item, are always prepared in odd numbers like 11, 21, 51,
and so on for nevedyam. Prepared in various ways, the core ingredients for modak remains coconut, flour, and sugar or jaggery.
4.Visarjan during pregnancy
A widely believed notion is that if one is expecting a child then the
Ganesha idol is not immersed in waters in that particular year. The visarjan
is instead carried out the following year (after the delivery) along
with the new idol for that year. This is due to the belief that Ganesha
is seen as a baal-roop and his visarjan, while someone in the family is carrying a child in the womb, would be inauspicious
5.Prevalence of mice
With Ganesha , comes his vaahan or vehicle- the mooshak.
You could attribute it to the delicious sweets, but during Ganeshotsava
the unwelcome yet welcome guests are the mice. Every day after the
aarti, miniscule balls of flour are also prepared especially for the
mice which are then thrown in various corners of the house. The mice are
also believed to be a sign of Ganesha idol being jaagruk or alive and
bring in good luck. During visarjan, people make wishes by whispering in
the ears of the mouse drawn on the Ganesha idol. Forget about rat-kill
for at least 10 days.
6.Gauri/Mahalaxmi sthapna
On the third day of the festival, Mahalaxmis arrive. It is said that
Ganesha’s two mothers- Parvati and Ganga come to visit him on this day. Sthapna of
the two goddesses is done and they are dressed in the traditional
attire, complete with ornaments. On the following day, special meal is
prepared and married women from the neighbourhood are invited for lunch.
Before leaving, they are also given auoti or the typical
return gift that includes coconut, rice grain and a piece of clothing.
On the 5th day of the festival, the Mahalaxmis are also immersed in
waters. Some also practice to do the visarjan along with the Ganesha idol on the last day.
7.Bringing back sand from the visarjan
As the idol is immersed in the waters following three dips, the carrier
(the person who takes the idol inside the river) is asked to bring back
little sand on the same plank that the idol was placed on. The sand is
then brought back home and after arti, it is sprinkled in the
corners of the house as a way of keeping alive the abundance and
prosperity that Ganesha brought with him during his 10-day stay
Each and every part of the idol of this elephant deity is a representation, a symbolism of something deep.
Big head
The big head of elephant on a human’s body is a symbolism of thinking big. Elephant has the largest brain out of all the land animals and is worldwide accepted to be the most intelligent of all. Not only is an elephant known for its intelligence but also much appreciated for its wisdom, determination and power.
Small eyes
Elephants usually have small eyes that represent concentration. The fact that they are able to see things bigger than what they actually are teaches us to always see the bigger picture and not be lead by misleading sights.
Large ears
Elephants are known for their remarkable sense of hearing. The large eyes are not only a symbolism of listening more but also to filter out unnecessary stuff.
Trunk
The pliable trunk in the idol is a symbolism of adaptability. It teaches us to be flexible in various different situations and act accordingly. A beautiful fact about elephant’s trunk is that it can do versatile actions; play and destroy, both
Two tusks
The life is full of conflict of choices; right and wrong, emotional and practicality etc. The two tusks represent these two choices. The broken tusk teaches us to rise above odds and make right decisions in all ventures of life.
Big stomach
It is a symbolic representation of celebrating life. It teaches us to absorb all the good and bad in life and rise above them, no matter what the circumstances are.
Modak
If you ever try and notice the idol, you will see Modaks too. These are nothing but sweets, a form of reward (prashad) for spiritual pursuit.
Mouse
The mouse, who is better known as Ganesha’s carrier, represents a lot of human attributes. First and foremost, it represents the desires we all our crowded with. It teaches us to control our desires or else they might end up destroying us. Another thing that the little mouse sitting at Ganesha’s feet represents is that nobody should be egoistic. Ganesha, or god is the supreme power. The fact that a mouse is able to carry Ganesha everywhere teaches us to stay determined and overcome all the obstacles that we may come across in our lives
Posture
Even the idol’s posture has lessons to teach us. Usually, Ganesha ji sits with one leg folded and with other on the ground. It holds the most significant lesson. It teaches us to aim for the sky, but still remain rooted to our basics.
Four hands
An intriguing fact about the idol is that all the 4 hands of Lord Ganesha is seen in different poses and hence representing different things.
One hand is seen holding the hatched or axe; it represents old deeds, both and good and be cut when a person becomes enlightened. Another is seen holding a lotus that represents awakening. Yet another hand is seen blessing the people and wishing the best for everyone. The last one holds a rope, a symbolism of pulling away from materialistic things and getting closer to the ultimate goal.
Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik’s tribute to Lord Ganesha
Ganpati's image and its significance that you might not be aware of
Ganapati, the other name for Lord Ganesha means the lord of lords.Each and every part of the idol of this elephant deity is a representation, a symbolism of something deep.
Big head
The big head of elephant on a human’s body is a symbolism of thinking big. Elephant has the largest brain out of all the land animals and is worldwide accepted to be the most intelligent of all. Not only is an elephant known for its intelligence but also much appreciated for its wisdom, determination and power.
Small eyes
Elephants usually have small eyes that represent concentration. The fact that they are able to see things bigger than what they actually are teaches us to always see the bigger picture and not be lead by misleading sights.
Large ears
Elephants are known for their remarkable sense of hearing. The large eyes are not only a symbolism of listening more but also to filter out unnecessary stuff.
Trunk
The pliable trunk in the idol is a symbolism of adaptability. It teaches us to be flexible in various different situations and act accordingly. A beautiful fact about elephant’s trunk is that it can do versatile actions; play and destroy, both
Two tusks
The life is full of conflict of choices; right and wrong, emotional and practicality etc. The two tusks represent these two choices. The broken tusk teaches us to rise above odds and make right decisions in all ventures of life.
Big stomach
It is a symbolic representation of celebrating life. It teaches us to absorb all the good and bad in life and rise above them, no matter what the circumstances are.
Modak
If you ever try and notice the idol, you will see Modaks too. These are nothing but sweets, a form of reward (prashad) for spiritual pursuit.
Mouse
The mouse, who is better known as Ganesha’s carrier, represents a lot of human attributes. First and foremost, it represents the desires we all our crowded with. It teaches us to control our desires or else they might end up destroying us. Another thing that the little mouse sitting at Ganesha’s feet represents is that nobody should be egoistic. Ganesha, or god is the supreme power. The fact that a mouse is able to carry Ganesha everywhere teaches us to stay determined and overcome all the obstacles that we may come across in our lives
Posture
Even the idol’s posture has lessons to teach us. Usually, Ganesha ji sits with one leg folded and with other on the ground. It holds the most significant lesson. It teaches us to aim for the sky, but still remain rooted to our basics.
Four hands
An intriguing fact about the idol is that all the 4 hands of Lord Ganesha is seen in different poses and hence representing different things.
One hand is seen holding the hatched or axe; it represents old deeds, both and good and be cut when a person becomes enlightened. Another is seen holding a lotus that represents awakening. Yet another hand is seen blessing the people and wishing the best for everyone. The last one holds a rope, a symbolism of pulling away from materialistic things and getting closer to the ultimate goal.
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