Happy Ganesh Chaturthi: Ganpati is brought home on first day of the festival.
Come Ganesh Chaturthi and modak or laddu can be seen on sweet shops all across the country. Modak, a sweet dumpling, is offered to the Ganesha idol and also received as prasad during the 10-day festival that reveres Lord Ganesha, the god of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles. Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi festivities begins today on September 13 and will continue till Ganesh Visarjan Or Anant Chaturdashi on September 23 when the idol of Ganpati Bappa is immersed in a water body.
Soft modak or laddu is believed to be Lord Ganesha's favourite food and there is a famous story behind it. The legend has it that once Lord Ganesha fought with Lord Parshuram, the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu. During their fight, Lord Ganesha's tooth broke and he faced difficulty while eating. Sweet and soft modak or laddus were prepared for him that melted in his mouth and he could have it to his heart's elation. From then on, it is believed that modak became his favourite food.
It's for this reason modak or laddus are prepared in the households, distributed in the communities and offered to the Ganesha idols as the festive food during Ganesh Chaturthi.
The word 'modak' is synonymous with 'happiness' and fills up the person eating it with delight. It is called modak in Marathi and Konkani, modakam or kudumu in Telugu, modaka or kadubu in Kannada, kozhakatta or modakkam in Malayalam and kozhukattai or modagam in Tamil.
There are several ways of preparing a modak. The most famous method is to make from rice or wheat flour, stuff it with grated coconut, jaggery and dried fruits. Everyone adds their personalized touch to the modak and prepare it in many ways. So did into this festive treat this Ganesh Chaturthi with your family, friends and colleagues. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!