Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu festival, begins on September 7, 2024, marking the birth of Lord Ganesha, a deity known for wisdom and obstacle removal. The ten-day festival involves worshipping a small idol of Ganesha for ten days, with the duration varying for different individuals. The festival is celebrated in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, and is associated with Lord Ganesha’s birth. The festival, observed in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, usually falls in August or September and lasts for ten days, culminating in the Ganesh Visarjan or immersion of the idol.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 Muhurat
Starting on September 7, Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day event that coincides with Shukla Paksha tithi. Ten days of festivities culminate on September 17 with Ganesh Visarjan. The puja muhurat for Ganesh Chaturthi begins at 11:03 am and concludes at 1:34 pm. In 2024, the idol immersion is slated for September 17, and the event will begin on September 7. September 6 at 3:01 PM and September 7 at 5:37 PM is when the Chaturthi Tithi will begin. Installing the Ganesh idol is best done between 11:07 AM and 1:33 PM on Madhyahna Muhurat.
History of Ganesh Chaturthi 2024
- In the Hindu calendar, Chaturthi, the fourth day of the month, is observed as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. The festival is said to have been started by Maa Parvati and started on the fourth day of Bhadrapada (August–September).
- According to tradition, Lord Ganesha was made out of sandalwood paste and sent to watch over Maa Parvati’s bathing area. Ganesha’s head was cut when Lord Shiva was startled to discover him beyond the location.
- During the event, idols are set up on elevated platforms, and worshipped using customs like shhodashopachara and pranapratishtha, and delicious dumplings called Ganesha are offered. After that, the idols are taken to nearby rivers to represent Ganesha’s ascent to Mount Kailas.
- During the Maratha era, the event was celebrated publicly and was resurrected by Indian nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1893.
Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi 2024
- The Hindu holiday known as Ganesh Chaturthi, or Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav, has been celebrated from 1630–1680. Given that Lord Ganpati was the Kuldevata, or family God, of the Peshwas, it was initially observed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire.
- In Maharashtra, the celebrations turned into a family occasion following the downfall of the Peshwas. Freedom warrior Lokmanya Tilak brought the festival back to life in 1893, transforming it from a yearly household celebration into a major public occasion.
- The celebration, also called Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav, honours Lord Ganesha, often called ‘Vignaharta,’ which means the one who removes obstacles. When beginning new endeavours, Ganesha devotees pray to him for guidance, prosperity, and good fortune.
- Hindu mythology is the source of Ganesh Chaturthi, as it tells the tale of Goddess Parvati constructing Lord Ganesha out of sandalwood paste while Lord Shiva was gone. After Ganesha stopped Lord Shiva’s path, there was a fight and Ganesha’s head broke off from his body.
- Goddess Parvati pledged to destroy the cosmos after changing into her terrible Kali form. Ganesha’s life was restored when the head of a newborn elephant was found and joined to his body, following Lord Shiva’s instruction to his disciples to locate the head of a sleeping kid.
- The ten-day event is widely anticipated and is marked by lively dancing, delicious food, and joyous get-togethers.
Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations across India
- The states of Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, especially in Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai. For varying lengths of time, people bring Ganpati Bappa idols home, engage in sthapana, offer bhog, worship to Lord Ganesha, carry out rituals, and fast.
- The festival ends with Ganesh Visarjan, where devotees immerse idols in water, wishing for Bappa’s return next year. Preparing the idols for the festivities starts months in advance. Pranapratishtha, Shhodashopachara, and Uttarpuja come next.
- The idol is submerged in water on the eleventh day, and then there is a singing and dancing parade. Before Visarjan, the location is used for Uttarpuja, during which the Lord is offered last sacrifices.
- In observance of Lord Ganesha, the God of Success, New Beginnings, Wisdom, and Obstacle Removal, people perform fasts and vigils.
Conclusion
Hindus in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in 2024 as a way to pay tribute to Lord Ganesha, a god renowned for his intelligence and ability to remove obstacles. Based on Hindu mythology, the event starts in August or September and ends with the idol’s immersion, known as Ganesh Visarjan. It was revived in 1893 by Indian nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak and entails the worship of a tiny idol, the offering of Ganesha, rituals, and fasting.
