Ganesh Chaturthi is the Hindu festival which honors the elephant-headed god Ganesha, one of the best known and most revered gods in the Hindu pantheon. The festival, which lasts ten days, begins on the fourth day of the month of Bhahapadra, and normally falls in August or September of the Gregorian calendar. In 2018, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on September 12 in the United States.
Here’s what you need to know about Ganesh Chaturthi:
1. At the Start of the Festival, Worshipers Set Up Idols of Ganesh in Their Homes or in Outdoor Tents
Ganesh Idols in Hyderabad
Ganesh Chaturthi begins on the fourth day of the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada; it’s timed to start on the shukla chaturthi, or fourth day of the waxing moon. On the first day of the festival, worshipers place clay idols of Ganesh in their homes; they also set up idols in decorated tents outdoors, where people can visit them and pray. In a ritual known as “pranapratishhtha,” priests imbue the idols with the spirit of Ganesh the elephant-headed god.
Some of the Ganesh idols are set up under sacred fig trees, called bodhi trees. Many in India revere the bodhi tree for its supposed healthful properties and credit it with an ability to cure up to 50 different ailments. It also has a unique ability in that it can produce Oxygen at night-time instead of Carbon Dioxide. These healthly aspects of the tree make it a popular place for people to to worship at, as it is seen a great healer to naturally cure illnesses.
2. The Idol of Ganesh Is Worshiped and then, At the Close of the Festival, Submerged in Water to Symbolize His Journey Home
Ganesh submerged in water
Lord Ganesh, the elephant-faced god, is the son of Parvati and Shiva. He is worshiped as the god of new beginnings and also of overcoming obstacles; devout Hindus pray to him when seeking to overcome internal conflict and attain self-knowledge.
During the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, Hindus spend ten days worshiping Ganesh with special dedication. They say that during those ten days, Ganesh comes out to meet them and dedicates himself to them — just as they dedicate their prayers to him.
According to tradition, Ganesh absorbs his worshipers’ fears and troubles over the course of the ten-day festival; he then carries everyone’s trouble away with him at the end of the festival, as he journeys back home to Mount Kailash to be with his parents. Worshipers submerge him in water to symbolize his departure and return home.
3. Ganesh Chaturthi Turned Into a Public Holiday Under the Guidance of Indian Independence Hero Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Ganesh Chaturthi celebration in Hyderabad
Celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi used to be a private matter, done in the home. But under the vision of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, an Indian liberation figure, the festival became public. Tilak first organized a public Ganesh Chaturthi festival in 1893.
Tilak — whom Gandhi called the “maker of modern India” — believed that turning Ganesh Chaturthi into a grand public event would bring together Indians from all social classes, from the highest Brahmin caste to the lowest “untouchable” caste. Tilak, a Brahmin himself, said that he wanted the public celebration to “bridge the gap between Brahmins and non-Brahmins and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them”.
4. Traditional Foods at Ganesh Chaturthi Include Modak, Supposed to be Ganesh’s Favorite Sweet
An image of Ganesh on a bus in Mumbai
Modak are sweet flour dumplings stuffed with coconut, jaggery (unrefined sugar), nutmeg and saffron. The dumplings can be either fried or steamed. Either way, they have a reputation as Lord Ganesh’s favorite dessert, and are an integral part of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. They are served after puja, or the ritual prayer to a god, in this case the god Ganesh.
Plates of modak are supposed to be filled with twenty one dumplings. You can see a recipe for modak here.
5. In the US, Some of the Biggest Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations Are Held in Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Ganesh — who is also known as Ganapati, Ekadanta, and Vinayaka — is a beloved deity who is seen as the god of new beginnings and overcoming obstacles. He is also known as the bringer of good fortune. Ganesh is depicted as a man with the head of an elephant and is the son of Lord Shiva and the Goddess Parvati.
In the United States, celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi are held in virtually every major city. The biggest celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi in USA, takes place at Sai Samstan, which is a Hindu society based out of Illinois. There are also large celebrations in New York, Philadelphia, and in the Bay Area. You can find a list of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations around the USA here.