Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of
Shiva and Parvati is widely worshipped as the munificent god
of wisdom. Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival in his honour and is
celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
and Andhra Pradesh.
Started by Chhattrapati Shivaji,
the great Maratha ruler, to disseminate culture and
nationalism, the festival was given a new impetus by Lokmanya
Bal Gangadhar Tilak to spread the message of freedom struggle
and to defy the British who had banned public assemblies. The
festival infused the Indians with a sense of unity and revived
their patriotic spirit.
To appreciate this occasion,
one must go to Mumbai where preparations begin months in
advance. Images of Ganesha are installed within homes as well
as in places of assembly. Elaborate arrangements are made for
lighting and decoration and Ganesha is fervently worshipped
for about seven to ten days. On the day of the Chaturthi, the
last of the days dedicated to the elephant-headed god,
thousands of processions converge on the beaches of Mumbai to
immerse the holy idols in the sea. This immersion is
accompanied by drumbeats, devotional songs and
dancing.
Every year, the largest Ganesha idol is
installed at Khairatabad in Hyderabad, which is more than 30
ft tall.
To know the other
fabulous festivals of India better you may visit the following
link:
Other
Indian Festivals
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