WHY DO WE CELEBRATE GANESH FESTIVAL?

 

GANPATI BAPPA MORYA

 

“Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha

Nirvighnam Kurume Devo Sarva Karyeshu Sarvada”

         In our Hindu culture we begin each small or big important work by the name of Lord Ganesha. As he is known as Vighnaharta, that is obstacle remover, it is believed that he makes our path free from obstacles.

         Most of us are aware of many stories of our Lord Gajanana. Can say mythological stories. But narration of any story is not the intention today.

         As per our Hindu calendar, on the fourth day of Bhadrapada, an idol of Lord Ganesha is worshipped in many houses. The worship continues for 2, 5, 7, or 11 days. And later the idol is immersed in water. We also find that this is celebrated as grand public festival in many parts of our country, Mainly in Maharashtra and north Karnataka.

         But how many of you know why we celebrate this festival? Why we worship the idol and immerse in water? Why we celebrate it the same time period every year?

         I got the answers of all these questions, in the session conducted by one knowlegeable person in our town. The session was all about our Hindu culture. It was not to highlight our culture, but to make us aware of the face that how our Hindu calendar (Panchaang) is prepared? How accurate are the calculations, How the name of each month have the reason behind it?

Apart from all this, the most important thing I came to know is about our Hindu festivals. We celebrate so many festivals in a year. Do we ever think, why? Are our festivals only to satisfy our religious and devotional beliefs? The answer is NO

This is not the only reason. Along with the religious and devotional feelings the most important but the unnoticed aspect is the Scientific reasons behind our each festival. Yes, I mean it. There is science behind each and every festival mentioned in Hindu Calendar.

         Today I would like to share with you all, Why do we celebrate this Ganesh festival in the month of Bhadrapada? What is the scientific reason behind this big festival?

         If we study the Climatic conditions of our country, this festival is celebrated during the end of rainy season. How actually this was done in ancient times. For a while, let’s keep aside the today’s picture of the modern world. Our country was the most beautiful place on this earth. People use to reside on the bank of river which gave rise to village culture system. Rain showers for 4 months is the provision of water which is stored in different natural reservoirs like lakes, wells, ponds, springs, rivers, etc.

 Before I proceed to our main story, let me tell you one thing, any scientific invention consumes time for it’s R and D. Our ancestors were not less than the scientists. But most of them conducted experiments in natural environment with available resources as per the requirement of the time and circumstances.

 The people residing on the bank of river made a provision to preserve this water. River use to be full of water during rainy season. So at the end of rainy season they experimented to make the natural bunds in rivers to slow down the flow of river. Later they checked this by kneading the soil on the river bank perfectly before adjusting it in river.

Later while kneading they made a beautiful Ganesh Idol. And as it was the idol of our Vighnaharta, started worshiping it, and then it was immersed in the river. So an auspicious day was fixed for this that is Bhadrapda Shudh Chaturthi. The advantage of fixing the day was, all the people perform the same act on the same day and the main purpose was solved. So the people from villages use to gather on the river bank, make a Ganesh idol from the well kneaded soil, worship it and immerse it in the river on the same day.

 This is how our Ganesh festival was started by our ancestors. But as the time proceeded, people thought of placing this beautiful idol made by them in their house at least for a day. So this is how our Bappa entered our sweet home. Few villages in India still follow this tradition. They bring the Ganesh idol made from natural clay, perform all rituals and do visarjan on the same day in the nearby river.

 But what we so call it as modern civilization, this tradition too changed along with the time. People were not satisfied with one day and so the durations of festival increased upto 11 days and also upto 21 days at few places. But we find the drastic change in this tradition in present days. Clay idol is replaced by artificial idol. Immersion of these idols causes water pollution along with some other harmful effects too.

         Would like to share one more fact in few words. This festival was limited to independent families till our great freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak stepped ahead with a new thought.

        During the days of freedom struggle it was difficult for people to gather together on a large scale. So this great leader made this Ganesh festival as a public festival as it was the practical requirement during those days. The intention was to unite people.

         But how is this celebrated now-a-days in big pendals?

        This is not the aim of my today’s article.

The aim is to make you all aware of the basic fact that our Hindu culture and our religious practices have a very strong scientific background. Our culture should not be introduced with the mythology but instead with true and strong scientific facts.

There was one reason to make all these practices religious during ancient days. Common people were not knowing words like science or so. Most of them were uneducated too. But they were strong believers of God and it’s Power. So the knowledgeable people arranged all the required aspects in festivals and religious practices which was properly followed.

So be proud of our culture and follow it without any doubts.

Let’s celebrate this festival with joy.

Ganpati Bappa Morya

 .........Vrushali S. Narasgouda