(Courtesy : Gomantak Times)

 

The Ganesh festival is one packed with fun and frolic, a time for prayer as well as pagentry. Its an occasion to clean and decorate the house, to prepare to receive the divine guest Lord Ganesha, to get together with family and friends, to exchange gifts, and to rejoice the birth of the Lord with new attire, dance and music.

As year after year, Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations in the Goa culminates with the harvesting season.

Ganeshas in various sizes and forms usually adorn street corners in gaily decorated pandals, which are put up by local associations/merchant groups in the city areas. Preparations normally begin several days in advance.

Artisans adding finishing touches of paint to these idols.........


The festival of Ganesh or Vinayak Chaturthi, the day on which Ganesh was born. It is the most joyous event of the year . Throughout India the festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm and devotion. In Goa, like Maharashtra, the festival is celebrated for upto ten days. It is said that Ganesh was the creation of Goddess Parvati, who breathed life into a doll which she made out of the dough she was using for her bath. Ganesh Chaturthi Festival

Celebrations/Legend:
The birth anniversary of Lord Ganeshji,is celebrated as Ganesh Chaturthi . This festival comes on the 4th day of Bhadarva Shukla-paksh of Hindu calender in (August/September). Ladoos (sweets) are distributed, milk is offered to idols of Lord Ganeshji at home and at temples, and worshippers visit Ganeshji temples for Ganesh Puja.

This elephant-headed god, vehicle is the Mooshak or rat and loves Modaks (round sweets called Ladoos).

Elaborate arrangements are made for lighting and decoration and Ganeshji is fervently worshipped for about 7-10 days.On the day of the Chaturthi, i.e. the last of the days dedicated to the god ,shrines are erected, firecrackers let off, huge images of Ganeshji are carried in grand procession for 'Ganesh Visarjan' accompanied by the sound of devotional songs and drums.

Myths & Beliefs of Ganesh Chaturthi:
Why People don't look on Moon That Day? There is very popular legend regarding this context. He is very fond of sweet pudding or Ladoos. On one of His birthdays he was going around house to house accepting the offerings of sweet puddings. Having eaten a good number of these, he set out moving on his mouse at night. Suddenly the mouse stumbled as it had seen a snake and became frightened with the result of that Ganeshji fell down.

His stomach burst open and all the sweet puddings came out. But Ganeshji stuffed them back into his stomach and, caught hold of the snake and tied it around his belly.

Seeing all this, the moon in the sky had a hearty laugh. This unseemly behaviour of the moon annoyed him immensely and so he pulled out one of his tusks and hurled it against the moon, and cursed that no one should look at the moon on the Ganesh Chaturthi day. If anyone does, he will surely earn a bad name.

Beliefs: In India, Ganeshji is worshipped first on all auspicious occasions, whether it is a marriage or a religious function. Ganeshji is the foremost god of the Hindu Pantheon. Any new project or venture that a Hindu family undertakes starts with his name, the housewife utters his name before even starting a small chore as he is the remover of all sankat (obstacles) and is an extremely benevolent god, fulfilling the wishes of those who pray to him sincerely.

Ganeshji also has long been associated with commerce, and merchants still pay homage to him. If an Indian business or bank fails, all the images of Ganeshji in the offices will be turned upside down, signifying the bad luck.

In households, it's common for small offerings of money, flowers and food to be placed before one of the family's effigies of Ganeshji. These tokens please him and he therefore brings more beauty, money and food to the family.

Ganesh Chaturthi

Kristi lokak Natalanchi Porob kuttumbachi porob zalear Hindu bhav-bhoinnank Ganesh Chaturti kuttumbachi porob zavn asa. Tea disa Hindu bhav-bhoinnim aplea kuttumba bhair asat teo aplea ghorchea ghara ietat ani ut-sovak ekttaim zatat.

Hea utsova nimtan soglim bhav-bhoinnim teo magir Hin-du, Kristanv vo Musol-man zanv, eka-mekager vochun porbim ditanv. Thoddim vorsam zalint Goeant tinuim dhormanchea bhav-bhoinnamni ek ekvott ghoddun haddla ani Sorv-Dhorm Manch vo Solidarity Forum mhonn nanv dilam. Tinuim dhormancheam porbam-utsovam somoiar heo tinuim dhormancheo bhav-bhoinnim kosloch vegllozar nastanam Goeant kaim zageancher mellave zatat ani kariavolli kortat.

Pilarche Misanvanchea Seminarint ontor dhormancheo (inter-religious) kariavolli choltat. Hindu, Kristanv ani Muslim sangatan ievn ekchara ani ekvotta voir somjikaen bhasabhas kortat.

Desantlo dhormbhed pois korpacho tancho hetu.

Gonnesache Murti voir zaiteo khobro asat ani tantli ek mhonnlear hi: Xenkor-Parvaticho ek ghorabo aslo ani Parvati nhanvunk geli tednam Gonnesak darar dovorlo, konnuim bhitor soronam zavnk. Xenkor bhitor sorunk laglo tednam Gonnesan taka haddailo, karonn taka khobor nasli khoim to aplo bapui mhonn. Apleak bhitor vochunk dinam mhonn Xenkorak rag ailolean Gonnesachi tokli kapun uddoili ani Xenkor ghorant bhitor sorlo.

Xenkor Gonnesak marun bhitor sorlo mhonn Parvatibai bob marun roddunk lagli ani sogleak boball zalo. Sogleam devancher akant ailo. Ani kitem kortolet tem chintunk poddlet. Axvinikuram devachea voiza lagim gele ani kiteim korunk zata tem tache kodde vicharlem khoim. Vell ibaddinastana konnui poilo mellta tachi tokli kapun haddun Gonnesak lavpak Axvinikuraman sanglem. Soddunk gelole kodden tankam poilo hoti mell’lo ani tachi tokli kapun Gonnesak laili ani hea porim Gonnesak novo zolm zalo mhonntat.

Hea xekddeache survatek Bharotachea kaim rajeamni Gonnesacho Utsov korunk suru kelo mhonn sangtat. Murtechi puja kortoch thoddo lok dedd dis panch, sat ani ikra dis ghorant dovortat ani dobajean vhorun pavoitat vo buddoitat. Team disamni bhett korunk ietoleank mittai ani khann ditat.

Zito Almeida.
(Courtesy: V-Ixtt)



PLASTER REPLACES CLAY:
The traditional artisans, who have been making Ganesh idols out of clay, are facing extinction because the idols made of plaster of parish look brighter, and are becoming increasingly popular with the people. The average rate of plaster of paris idols ranges between Rs.250 and Rs.3500, while those of clay are between Rs.200 and Rs.2500. (Navhind Times)

GOA'S LARGES GANAPATI:
Talented Manoj Ramesh Chari and Rupesh Chari from Canacona worked for nearly four months to construct a 20-foot idol of Lord Shiva at Quepem. It depicts Ganaraya sitting on a 7-ft. tall
cobra. (Gomantak Times)

PANAJI: The eleven-day-long Ganesh Chathurthi festivities began all over Goa on Friday with religious fervour and gaiety.

Idols of the elephant-headed Lord Ganesha were ceremoniously installed in households amid the chanting of bhajans and bursting of fire-crackers.

The city wore a festive look with makeshift stalls selling sweets and assorted items having sprung up at the main marketplaces.

There were large crowds at bus stands and railway stations as people returned to their ancestral homes to observe the festival with their family members.
(PTI)


GANAPATI IMMERSION: With chants of 'Ganapati Bap'pa Morya, fuddchya varshi lavkar yea', music, and fireworks, Ganesh idols were immersed at several places all over the State last evening (2nd September 2000). This year, somehow, the festival lacks the
gaiety generally associated with it in Goa.

The legend of Ganesh
 (Courtesy Gomantak Times)

A fascinating account of Ganesh Chaturthi replete with monsters,
magic and celestial sleight of hand

There was a monster (Rakshasa) called Gajasura. He was all- powerful and an ar dent devotee of Lord Shiva. He underwent penance for many years to receive special boons

from Shiva. Lord Shiva, the god, who is easily pleased by prayers, is deeply moved by Gajasura's devotion. He blesses the monster and offers him a boon. But the devotee is not as innocent as Shiva. He pleads with Shiva to reside in his belly. Left with no option but to grant the boon, Shiva gets into Gajasura's stomach.

Meanwhile on Mount Kailash, Parvati - Shiva's wife, becomes anxious not knowing the whereabouts of her husband for a long time. She searches through the whole universe but to no avail.

Finally she approaches Lord Vishnu - the preserver of the world. Vishnu assures Parvati to find Shiva out. He disguises himself in the form of a street player along with Nandi - the sacred bull of Shiva and sets out in search of Shanker (another name for Shiva). They go to Gajasura's kingdom and Nandi performs a dance to please the monster. The monster is delighted to see the bull dancing in his honor and wishes to reward the bull. The bull asks for Shiva as a reward. Hearing this, the monster realises that the entertainer is none but Lord Vishnu himself. He also realises that Shiva cannot be made to live in his stomach forever because he has his role to play in the world. He lets Shiva out of his stomach. But he prays to him, that he be made immortal in the memories of people.

To fulfill this wish, Shiva severs Gajasura's head and frees him from the cycle of birth and death. He carries the head along with him. On Mount Kailash, in the Himalayas, Parvati comes to know of Vishnu's victory and is very happy. She makes arrangements to receive her Lord and goes to bedeck herself.

She wants somebody to stand guard. So she creates a doll out of the dough that she uses in her bath. She calls him Vinayak - the one who puts off all obstacles. This boy having never seen Shiva, prevents his entry into the palace. In a fit of fury Shiva beheads the boy and enters the palace. Parvati is unaware of the happenings and receives Shiva with warmth, for he had returned after a long period. During the course of their conversation, Shiva mentions the incident at the palace gates and tells her about severing the child's head. Parvati is shocked to hear the news and pleads with Shiva to bring the child back to life for he is like a son to her.

Shiva who has with him the head of Gajasura, immediately puts it on the torso of the dead child. Thus the child comes back to life. That day is Bhadrapad Chaturthi. Shiva blesses him with a boon that the entire world would worship him on that day and also would propitiate him before any auspicious event.

At the same time, all the Gods approach Shiva and request for a leader. Shiva and Parvati have a son called Kumarswami or Kartik. To select the best one of them as a leader of all the Gods, Shiva conducts a test between the two. He says that whoever makes three rounds of the earth sooner than the other, will be made the Ganaadhipati. Kumarswami seated on a peacock, his vahanam (vehicle), starts off for the test.

Vinayak is given a rat which moves swiftly. Vinayak realises that the test is not so easy but he cannot disobey his father. He reverently pays obeisance to his parents and goes around them three times and completes the test before Kumarswami. He says, "my parents pervade the whole universe and going around them, is more than going round the earth." Everybody is pleasantly surprised to hear Vinayak's logic and intelligence. Meanwhile, Kartik is amazed to see Ganesh completing the holy bath at each river that he reached at and ready for another round of the universe.

When he comes back to Kailas, Shiva had already declared Vinayak as the winner. He is blessed as the Supreme God of the universe. After this, Vinayak is called as Ganaadhish, Ganapati and Ganesh. All the gods worship him.

 




Links:
http://www.gsbworld.com/
http://www-ccs.cs.umass.edu/~cris/bombay1998/ganesh/ganesh.html
http://india-tourism.de/english/culture/festivals.html