Vinayaka Chavithi 2013

Wishing You all a Very Happy Vinayaka Chavithi Wishes from Divya's Cooking Journey!!

Vinayaka Chavithi falls on the fourth day (Chaturdasi) after the new moon (Shukla paksha) in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. This is july/August/September each year. It's commonly celebrated for 9 or 11 days, with the biggest spectacle taking place on the last day called Anant Chaturdashi. Vinayaka Idols are on installed on vinayaka chavithi day, and worshippied for 11 days and immersed in water on Anant Chaturdashi.

In 2013, Vinayaka Chavithi is on Monday, September 9th.But in some parts of USA people are celebrating on September 8th according to their Calendar and place.

Origin

According to the legend, the festival marks the auspicious day of the birth of Lord Ganesha. The story goes as follows- Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of resolution, was away from Kailash due to some work. As Parvati was alone at home, she felt the necessity of some one to guard the door to her house while she took bath. When she did not get any one, she conceived of the idea of creating a son who could guard her. She then created Ganesha out of her sandalwood paste and breathed life into the idol. She then asked him to stand on the gate and do not let any body enter until she came out. Unfortunately, Shiva returned home in the meantime. As, Ganesha did recognize him, he stopped Shiva from entering as per his mother's advice. This badly enraged Lord Shiva, who cut off Ganesha's head by his trident. When Parvati saw beheaded Ganesha, took on the form of the Goddess Kali and threatened to destruct all the three worlds.

The earth, the heaven, the nether world, all was shaken and every body ran to Shiva for solution. In order to appease Lord Parvati and save the world from destruction, Lord Shiva sent out his followers to find a child whose mother is facing another direction in negligence, cut off his head and bring it quickly. The first such child that came in the eyes of the Shiva followers was an elephant, so they brought the head of this elephant and Shiva placed it on the trunk of Parvati's son and gave life into him. Parvati was the overwhelmed with happiness and embraced her son. They named her Ganesha i.e the Lord of all Ganas (followers).

Here is the Gajasuramardana Siva, Slayer of Gajasura

History 

Though the festival is being celebrated since times immemorial, the present kind of celebrations of Ganesha Chaturthi came in fashion in 1893, Lokmanya Tilak, an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer reshaped the annual Ganesh festival from a private family celebration into a community event. The day was conceived to be the National Festival in order to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins in the society. Tilak chose this festival for this purpose because Lord Ganesh was considered to be the ' God of Everyman'. It then served as a meeting ground for people of all community and religion on a public platform. Since then the festival has served its cause of existence. Even now people irrespective of caste and community barriers celebrate this festival with great joy.

Lord Ganesh is considered to be the God who has the ability to bestow wisdom and wealth upon humans. All the new undertakings, whether at place of work or at home, start by reciting the mantra of Lord Ganesha. He is known as the God of good luck and prosperity. Therefore, before any auspicious occasion, Hindus performs the puja of Lord Ganesha, to achieve success in it. Ganesh Chaturthi, the day marking the birth of the Lord, is celebrated in a grand manner in Maharashtra as well as other parts of India. It falls in the Hindu lunar month of Bhadra and lasts over a period of ten days. One of the most loving festivals of India, Ganesh Chaturthi has many legends associated with it. Given below are the legends from Shiv and Skanda Purana.

Legend From Shiv Purana

The most popular legend associated with Lord Ganesha can be found in the Shiv Purana. It says that Lord Ganapati was created out of the dough that Goddess Parvati used for her bath. The Goddess wanted a door-keeper, to prevent the coming of any visitors when she took a bath. So, she created a doll from the dough and breathed life into him. The day she did this came to be known as the birthday of Lord Ganesha, which we today celebrate as Ganesh Chaturthi. 

On day, while Goddess Parvati was taking her bath, Lord Shiva happened to visit her. Ganesha did not know him, so he did not allow the Lord to enter the house. This made Lord Shiva angry and he beheaded Ganesha. Later, when he came to know the truth, he fixed the head of an elephant in place of Ganesha's head. With this, the appearance of Lord Ganesha changed and he came to have the head of an elephant.

Legend From Skanda Purana

There is yet another popular legend associated with Ganesh Chaturthi, arising from Skanda Purana. It goes that once Ganesha was invited for a feast in Chandralok. He ate many Ladoos and later, as he got up to walk after the meal, he could not balance himself, because of his huge stomach, and slipped. His stomach burst and all the laddoos came rolling out. Seeing this, the moon could not control himself and began laughing. Ganesha got angry and cursed the moon that it will vanish from the universe.

Because of moon's absence, the whole world began to wane. The gods asked Lord Shiva to get Ganesha to change his mind. The moon also apologized for his misbehavior. Finally, Ganesha modified his curse saying that the moon would be invisible on only one day of a month and would be partially seen on Ganesha Chaturthi. He also added that anyone who watches moon on Ganesha Chaturthi would face a false accusation. This is the reason why, even today, it is considered inauspicious to look at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ganesh Chaturthi

"Suklambaradharam Visnum Sasivarnam Caturbhujam

Prasanna Vadanam Dhyayet-sarva Vighnopa Santaye"

(The one who wears a) white garment, all pervading (all encompassing), white colored, posessing four arms, pleasant face - (Upon Him) I meditate for the removal of all obstacles.

Agajanana Padmarkam Gajanana Maharnisam

AnekaDantham Bhaktanam Ekadantham Upasmahe

Seated on Lotus, with an elephant face, you have many devotees, O single tusked Lord, I worship thee

Om gananam tva ganapatim havamahe kavim kavinam upamasravastamam

jyestha rajam brahmanam brahmanas pata a nah srnvannutibhi sida sadanam

Through praises we worship You – Lord of the Vedas

Leader of all groups of devas; Visionary of visionaries

One who has great fame through various metaphors

Most exalted of the Knowers of Brahman

One who shines in the heart of devotees, hearing our prayers

Please sit at the altar in our hearts with all protective means.

Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atma or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha's left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties.

The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The Modakam (sweet) he holds in his trunk indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atma. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. And he is humble enough to ride the lowest of creatures, a mouse.

Palavelli Preperation:

Palavelli is a mesh sort of thing made of sticks:

Get the following fruits and tie them to the palavelli, towards one side:

Raw mango

Coconut flower

Lotus flower

A maize corn

Banana fruit

Guava fruit

Pomegranate
Wood Apple

And many other Fruits and Flowers available are used.

Puja Preparations:

Clean the North-east corner (Isanya corner) of the house (a place where the deity is to be placed), make rangoli with colors or rice flour. Keep a pedestal to place the vinayaka pooja murti. Apply turmeric to this pedestal and place kumkum and rice flour dots on the edges. Make a rangoli of 8-Petal lotus on this pedestal.

The person performing the pooja has to sit facing east. Place a Vinayaka murti on the pedestal. Then make a small mount of wet turmeric Ganesha (usually a small mount) and place a dot of kumkum. Take a plate with some rice and place some betel leaves on the rice (in a circle, the edges of the leaves pointing out). Now place the turmeric Ganesha on this plate.

Arrange the palavelli above the ganesh murti as follows, so that the tied up fruits and flowers stand as umbrella. 

Naivedyams are offered to the god .

It may be any variety of Hot and sweet items .Mainly the Undrallu are offered to the diety and the Mouse.Vadapappu,Panakam,Chalimidi are important  to any festival.

Ganesha Nimajjanam:

Ganesha Navaratri is celebrated from the day of Chaturthi. The last rite is called “Nimmajjanam” (immersion). This ceremony on the very next day after Vinayaka Chaturthi. Other dates that are chosen for Ganapati immersion are 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th and the Ananta Chaurdasi day after Ganesha Chaturthi. Devotees carry their ganesha in a procession, accompanied by music, dance, sweets, and fireworks.

The procession ends on the banks of a river or sea shore, where devotees immerse their clay images of lord Ganesha into water chanting “Sri Ganesham Udvaasayaami… Shobhanaartham punaraagamanaayacha”

Environmental Concerns:

On the final day of the Ganesha festival thousands of plaster icons are immersed into water bodies by devotees. These increase the level of acidity in the water and the content of heavy metals.[8]The day after the immersion, shoals of dead fish can be seen floating on the surface of the water body as a result of this sudden increase.

Several non-governmental and governmental bodies have been addressing this issue. Amongst the solutions proposed by various groups some are as follows:

Return to the traditional use of natural clay icons and immerse the icon in a bucket of water at home

Use of a permanent icon made of stone and brass, used every year and a symbolic immersion only.A

Recycling of plaster icons to repaint them and use them again the following year. Ban on the immersion of plaster icons into lakes, rivers and the sea. Creative use of other biodegradable materials such as paper mache to create Ganesh icons. Encouraging people to immerse the icons in tanks of water rather than in natural water bodies.

To handle religious sentiments sensitively, some temples and spiritual groups have also taken up the cause.

Vinayaka Puja in Telugu

Vinayaka Puja is a festival puja, in which knowledge about flora is passed on from one generation to another in the form of a tradition. God Vinayaka is worshiped by all and more interestingly by the children.

How To perform Vinayaka Puja

Before starting the Vinayaka Pooja take a ritual bath and wear new clothes. Clean the puja mandapam, Place the clay Vinayaka idol and other pooja items there. Place a betel leaf before the god. Make a Turmeric Ganapathi with turmeric and water. Place kumkum on it and decorate it with flowers. Perform Pasupu Ganapathi Puja, then perform Vinayaka Chavithi Pooja, then Chant Vinayaka Astottara Shatanama Stotram and other Ganesha Stotrams, Vinayaka Chavithi  Patri after that hear Vinaya Chavithi Story and finish the pooja with Vinayaka Aarti.