This year Ganesh Chaturthi will begin on September 10 (File)
Ganesh Chaturthi is observed as the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu god of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles. The son of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati, Lord Ganesha is the marker of all things auspicious and prosperous. The festival is particularly popular in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka. This year Ganesh Chaturthi will begin on September 10 and the 10-day festival will conclude on September 21.
The festival begins with Pran Pratishtha - a ritual performed to consecrate an idol in the temple. For 10 days, devotees worship and pray to the Lord. On the last day of the festival, the idol is immersed in a waterbody like a pond or a river with much fanfare. The immersion - called the Ganpati Visarjan - marks the return of the Lord to his abode. It is believed that praying to Lord Ganesha helps end all troubles. That is why he is also known as Vinayaka and Vighneshwara. He is also the god of new beginnings and fresh starts.
According to the Hindu Panchang, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on Chaturthi Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada (August or September). On Ganesh Chaturthi, people wake up early and visit a temple.
According to a legend, Lord Ganesha and his elder brother Lord Karthik once set off to circle the world to see who between them was faster. Ganesha, bestowed with immense wisdom, circled his parents thrice. When asked why he did so, he said his parents meant the world to him. Impressed by the gesture, his mother, Devi Parvati, gave him a modak. That is why the god is offered modak.