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| Happy Ganesh Chatuti,2025 nkbmeditation.org |
Vinayaka Chathurthi and the Legend of Lord Ganapathi
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| God Vinayaka or Ganesha .shutterstock.com |
Above image: Dedicated to God Ganesha, the god of wisdom and prosperity, He is also considered the remover of obstacles Vinayaka Chaturti festival marks his birth and is observed with grand religious processions, poojas, and celebrations across India; Quite popular across South India and Maharashtra...........
Vinayaka Chathurthi, also known as Ganesh Chathurthi, is one of the most popular Hindu festivals celebrated across India, especially in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. It falls in the Tamil month of Aavani (usually August or September), and this year it is on 27th August (Wednesday). This day marks the birth of Lord Ganapathi, the remover of obstacles (Vigneshwara) and the god of wisdom and auspicious beginnings. The 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations will begin on Wednesday, August 27, with the Chaturthi Tithi starting on August 26 at 1:54 PM and ending on August 27 at 3:44 PM.
Ganapathi is deeply embedded in the religious and cultural fabric of Tamil Nadu.in particular It is rare to find a street corner or village that does not house a small Pillaiyar (local name) temple. Students and aspirants pray to him before exams or important ventures. Vinayaka is revered before the start of any ceremony, symbolizing his role as the lord of beginnings.
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| Kozhakattai (modak) Prasadam delhinagaratharsangam.org |
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| Kozhakattai (modak) Prasadam .padhuskitchen.com |
Ganesh Chaturthi assumed the nature of a gala public celebration when the Maratha ruler Shivaji (c. 1630–80) used it to encourage nationalist sentiment among his subjects, who were fighting the Mughals. In 1893, when the British banned political assemblies, the festival was revived by the Indian nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Today the festival is celebrated in Hindu communities worldwide and is particularly popular in Maharashtra and parts of western India.
According to a well-known legend, Parvati created Ganapathi from sandal paste while Shiva was away. She instructed him to guard the entrance while she bathed. When Shiva returned and was stopped by this unknown boy, a fierce fight ensued, and Shiva beheaded him. Parvati, devastated, transformed into the fierce Kali. To pacify her, Shiva fixed the head of a baby elephant on the boy’s body, reviving him. Thus, Ganapathi was born, and he was granted leadership over Shiva’s divine attendants (Ganas), hence the name Ganapathi, the god of intellect and wisdom.
When Vyasa decided to write the Mahabharata, he sought the help of Ganapathi for his wisdom and agility. God Ganapathi has a broken ivory tusk with which he wrote the great epic without any delay or mistakes after understanding what was being dictated by the sage who could compose the the next script when Ganapathi was deciphering the previous stanza.
The clay idol of Ganapathi is installed at homes and temples during the festival and offered special sweets like Kozhakattai (modak) and appam as prasadam. After the puja, the idols are immersed in water bodies in a ritual called Visarjan.
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| Shakti Ganapathy, Srisailam, APfacebook.com |
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| Ganesh temple Indagunj,N.Kanataka facebook.com |
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| 7th CE,Karpaga Vinayakar temple,Pilliyarpatti TN .templenet.com |
Famous Ganapathi Temples in South India:
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Uchi Pillayar Temple, Rockfort, Tiruchirapalli
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Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Puducherry
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Karpaga Vinayagar Temple, Pillayarpatti, Sivaganga District
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Maha Ganapathi Temple, Chidambaram
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Dodda Ganapathi Temple, Bangalore
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Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple, Andhra Pradesh
Faith in Lord Vinayaga is rooted in the belief that he ensures smooth beginnings and removes life's hurdles with compassion and swiftness.
Many state governments have asked the devotees to use clay Ganesh idols without using harmful color paints for immersion purpose, so that water won't get polluted.
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