vakratunda mahakaya, surya koti samaprabaha
nirvighnam kurumedeva sarva karyeshu sarvada
To celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesha the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated. Also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, this festival is celebrated to worship Ganesha, the son of God Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the God of wisdom, success, and good luck, the God of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles, the one who is the marker of everything auspicious and prosperous.
This is a 10-days long festival that begins with the consecration of Lord Ganesha's idol in the temple or at home. The said ritual is known as Pran Prathishtha. The idol is bathed in panchamrit snan that comprises of milk, ghee, honey, curd, and sugar, followed by scented oil and ganga jal. The devotees then offer Lord Ganesha new clothes along with flowers, unbroken rice (akshata), garland, sindoor, and chandan.
Devotees chant vedic hymns and prayers to worship the God of wisdom. They also observe fast and offer the God his favorite sweets, especially modak, on all ten days. It is on the tenth day of the festival that Lord Ganesha's idol is carried in a procession with great joy, devotion, and music. People of all age groups participate in the procession and dance around the idol. The idol is taken to a nearby water body like a river or a sea for immersion. With chants of mantras and hymns, Ganesha is bid farewell while the devotees wish for him to return the next year.
O the Elephant-headed, the one served by likes of spirits and [Shiva's] tribes,
O the one who derives pleasure from devouring sweet fruits like wood apples and blackberries,
The beloved little boy of devi Uma [Parvati], the destroyer of grief,
I bow to your lotus feet, to you, who is the destroyer of all obstacles.
-Manache Shloka attributed to Swami Samartha Ramdas
Megha!! You still active here! So happy to see you
