Paragraph on Ganesh Chaturthi (787 Words)

Here is your paragraph on Ganesh Chaturthi:

Ganesh Chaturthi is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi is dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed God of Wisdom and Prosperity.

Ganesh Utsava is the festival dedicated to the Vighneshwara, the remover of obstacles.

This festival falls on the fourth day of Hindu month Bhadra (August- September). The deity Ganesha is worshipped everywhere, but is highly popular among Maharashtrian. The clay images of Ganesha are made, the puja is performed and then the image is immersed in a river, tank or sea.

The images of Ganapati are decorated with flowers and taken in procession to the Visarjansthal (water side) with chanting and dancing. When the procession reaches the spot, the images are placed on dry land, worshipped and then drowned.

A handful of clay or sand is brought in the tray or on the stool used for carrying it and ceremoniously thrown into the barn, the grain barrels and particularly into the room in which provisions are stored, so as to ensure good crops in the next season.

On Ganesh Chaturthi day, it is said that one should not see the moon. If anybody happens to see it on this day he fears to be slandered. Sacred scriptures inform us that Lord Krishna was falsely accused of the murder of Prasena and the theft of Syamantaka due to his looking at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi day.

This sin can, however, be expiated by getting oneself abused on the following day. Hence those who see the moon on Ganesh Night provoke their neighbours in the morning and get themselves abused. This is, however, a delicate art and the inexperienced have to practice it with caution.

Legend tells us about the cause of enmity between Ganesha and the moon. The story goes like this that one day while Ganesha was passing Chandralok (the region of the moon) he happened to tumble down and Chandra laughed at him. The appearance and gait of Ganesha were, undoubtedly, matters of much cosmic com­ment among gods but no god had dared to laugh at him as Chandra did.

The misconduct of the moon infuriated Ganesh who cursed him and declared the whoever would look at him should be falsely accused. Thus, the god who was the favourite of the three worlds became inauspicious and all people avoided him like the plague. Out of shame, Chandra had no option, but to hid himself in a lotus flower.

The gods missed him but none of them possessed the requisite power to cancel the effect of Ganesha’s curse. So they approached Brahma who initiated them in Ganesh-puja and on the gods performing this ceremony.

Ganesha was propitiated and he asked them what they wanted. On enquir­ing he learnt the object of their suit. He told the assembly that the offender himself should perform necessary puja and approach him. So, Brihaspati was sent to Chandra and he instructed him in the puja.

On the completion of the puja, Ganesha appeared before him. Chandra begged to be pardoned and the other gods also pleaded on his behalf. Ganesha was finally persuaded and eventually removed the general effect of the curse but maintained that Chandra’s disgrace should be per­petuated and declared that whosoever saw the moon on Ganesh Day should have the effect of the curse. But added that those who intentionally or unintentionally looked at the moon on this day should expiate their sins by getting themselves abused on the next day.

In Kashi, for weeks ahead of Ganesha Chaturthi, the city’s craftsmen becomes busy making and painting the clay images of Ganesha, large and small, which are sold in the lanes around the temple of Bare Ganesha on this day. It is a day of both public and domestic worship and those who take the darshana of Bare Ganesha in his temple will also purchase an image of the stout orange deity to place on their home altars.

In Tamil Nadu, it is said that Vinayaka have taken the form of a crow and upset the Kamandala of Agastya (in Coorg) resulting in the sprouting of the river Kaveri at that place. On Vinayaka Chaturthi (Tamil month Avani) on the 4th day of the bright fortnight he is offered with modakam, a sweet meat of rice, sugar- candy etc., at the time of oblation.

He is always worshipped with hariali grass. Gajamukhasura made the devas to knock on their heads and sit and stand before him to show their submissiveness. The Asura was destroyed by Vinayaka and the Devas did the same obeisance before Vinayaka, which became the mode of Vinayaka worship. Puranas have many such anecdote on Vinayaka, whose vehicle is ‘Murshkam’ (a kind of rat).