Notably, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates Lord Ganesha as the God of New Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles as well as the god of wisdom and intelligence.
Ganesh Chaturthi Or Vinayaka Chaturthi is a festival celebrating the birth of the elephant-headed God, Ganesha. The festival falls in the months of August or September according to the Gregorian calendar and is marked by devotees worshipping idols of Ganesha in homes or in marquees. Notably Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates Lord Ganesha as the God of New Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles as well as the god of wisdom and intelligence. The festival which is celebrated with much pomp and splendor in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Telengana, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh.
It is also celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Recent years have seen a surge of Ganesh Chaturthi in Bengal as well.
A 10-day festival, it will see chanting of Vedic hymns, prayers, vratas and offerings or prasadams being offered to the god of intellect and wisdom. As per Hindu mythology, it is believed that Lord Ganesha was fond of sweetmeats and that is one of the reasons that a wide array of sweets are offered to Vinayaka during the festival to impress him and seek his blessings. One of Lord Ganesha’s favourite sweet is undoubtedly the humble modak — a creamy delicious sweet dumpling made using rice flour, jaggery and other delicacies.
