Ganesha has arrived in the homes again and the festive spirit, just like every year, has touched new heights. Popularly known by different names such as Ganapati, Vinayaka, Vignesh, Lambhodar, etc., he is one of the favourite deities among the Hindus. A Vignahartha, which means – the one who removes obstacles for adults and a cute, pot-bellied elephant god for little children, Ganesh Chaturthi is perhaps the biggest affair and a grand celebration in Maharashtra, Karnataka and different parts of India.
The colorful festival consists of three phases the first being the welcoming of Ganesha, followed by worship and final being the immersion in water i.e. the Visarjan.
Two or three weeks before the festival, the skilled artisans prepare a wide range of Ganesha idols. These include statues of various sizes, shape, color, Ganesha poses and more. Now a day, eco-friendly idols have become quite famous. The devotees filled with great devotion and passion bring these statues to the homes. Thereafter, celebrations begin with energy and enthusiasm.
Depending upon the belief, some people worship Ganesha for days. This is followed by the procession. Generally, after 10 days, a large group of people usually join the procession to take the idol for immersion. The excitement touches the roof with people repeatedly chanting Ganapati Bappa Maurya, singing devotional songs, burning crackers, and dancing on the favourite musical hits. The popular tracks include ‘Shree Siddhivinayak Deva’, ‘Jai Ganesh’ and ‘Om Gan Ganpataye Namo Namaha’, ‘Deva Shree Deva’ from Agneepath, ‘Mourya Re’ from Don and ‘Aala Re Aala Ganesha’ from Daddy.
One of the defining features of every Ganapati celebrations is the Modaks. Made with rice flour and filled with coconut and jaggery, the delicious sweet is offered to Ganesha and shared with friends and family. The families also bring small colorful clay statues of Ganesha. The members of the family keep fasting and engage in worship and other rituals.
Often, the local youths of an area, clubs, societies get-together to celebrate the festival in a grand manner. Big Ganesha idols of 15 to 30 meters are made. These giant idols are then brought to the mandap, and various cultural programs are held. To lift the spirits of devotees and people in general, Ganesh Bhajans are played. People dance as they have never danced, and happiness spreads to each and every corner of the streets. Saregama Carvaan Premium, the digital audio player offers a great collection of Ganesha hits like ‘Murti Ganesh Ki’ – Kishore Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, ‘Govinda Aala Re’- Md. Rafi, ‘Bappa Moraya’ – Asha Bhosle, Zanai Bhosle. Play these lively songs and enjoy the festive occasion.
Finally, the Ganapati idols are immersed in water. The Visarjan is done with devotees shouting slogans hailing the Ganapati and praying for his return the next year.
Music has always been a special part of the Ganapati festival. In every phase of the celebration, the devotional songs add to the joyous mood of the people. You can listen to Ganesh Bhajans like ‘Deva Ho Deva’, ‘Riddhi Siddhi Dayak’, ‘Ganapati Vandana’ and many more using Saregama Carvaan Bhakti Mini. The Saregama Carvaan Gold 2.0 has dedicated Wi-Fi audio stations like Shree Ganesh Mahamantra and Ganesh bhajans that you can enjoy anytime. Enrich the festive mood with music and celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi 2019 like never before.
Let’s come together and say again, Ganapati Bappa Maurya!