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India is the country of festivals. The fervor of festivity could be understood by the number of festivals celebrated every year in the country. There is not a single month when there is no festival celebrated in India. One of the greatest festivals of India is Ganesh Chaturthi which is celebrated with great devotion and joy across the subcontinent.
We have provided below an essay on Ganesh Chaturthi in English which can be useful for children of every class and age. It could also be used while writing an speech on Ganesh Chaturthi or an article on Ganesh Chaturthi. It will also help to understand the importance and history of the Ganesh Chaturthi.
Photo by Billeasy on Unsplash
Photo by Billeasy on Unsplash
Introduction
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the great Indian Hindu festival celebrated every year mostly in the month of September. It is also called as Ganpati festival, Ganesha festival, Gowri Ganesha or Vinayaka Chaturthi across states. The festival marks the birth of Lord Ganesha to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is the day when people welcome Lord Ganesha in their homes and seek his blessing for peace, health and prosperity.
Why is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated
Ganesh Chaturthi is the festival to celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesha who is considered as the 'vighnaharta', which means the one who takes away all the obstacles. He is the younger son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
According to Hindu mythology, it is said that Goddess Parvati created Ganesha out of the mud from her body and sets him to guard her why she took bath. When Ganesha tried to stop Lord Shiva entering the house, Shiva severed his head in the battle between two.
Once Parvati told the truth to Shiva, he accepted his mistake and brought Ganesha to life by fixing an elephant's head on his body.
How Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated
Ganesh or Vinayaka Chaturthi is the 10 days festival during which idols of Lord Ganesha is brought to home and is worship for 10 days with full devotion. Various grand 'pandals' are set up in the cities where large idols of Lord Ganesha are placed and people visit to seek the blessings of their dearest Lord.
The 10 days of festival infills the vibrancy of festivity with devotional songs, bhajans and cultural events to mark the celebration. Ganesh Chaturthi is a grand affair, especially in the state of Maharashtra and Karnataka where grand ‘pandals’ are setup showcasing grandeur of arts and culture. The real festivity of the celebration can only be experienced when one is physically present at these ‘pandals’.
Ganesh Visarjan: Conclusion of the Festival
After the 10 days of grand celebration, the idols of Lord Ganesha are immersed in the local water bodies like rivers, seas or oceans. Ganesh Visarjan is considered as the conclusion of the festival when devotees bid goodbye to their lord with the promise of coming back next year.
Photo by Ajeet Mestry on Unsplash
Photo by Ajeet Mestry on Unsplash
The visarjan is accompanied with grand celebration with people singing and dancing on the tunes of drums and ‘dhols’. The immersion of idols into water bodies finally concludes the 10 days festival with people eagerly waiting for the arrival of the lord next year chanting ‘ganpati bappa morya’.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2020
Ganesh Chaturthi 2020 date was on 22nd of August 2020 and was celebrated with great joy and devotion. This year owing to the COVID 19 pandemic, the celebration was very limited and was only done in homes and private places.
The world famous Lalbag Cha Raja ganpati was not celebrated this as per the COVID 19 guidelines. The trust instead launched a blood donation camp to celebrate the festival and helped needy people.
Enviromental Impacts of Ganesha Chaturthi
The immersion of large scale of Ganesha idols in rivers, seas and oceans during the festival also has impacts on our environment. The Plaster of Paris used in the making of the idols takes a very long time to decompose leading to water pollution.
Also the toxic colors and paints used in the decoration of the idols makes the water poisonous posing a big threat to the aquatic species. The flowers, garlands and polythene used in the process leads to land as well as water pollution.
Hence it is our prime responsibility that we should also take a good care of our environment while celebrating the festival. We can celebrate the festival with full joy and happiness without disturbing the mother nature by following the below given tips:
1. Bring only Eco-friendly Ganesha idols having only herbal and natural colors.
2. Government should make arrangements that the idols are not immersed in natural water bodies instead an artificial pond should be created for the purpose.
3. Use of minimal artificial colors and decorative items for the idols.
4. Immerse the idols in the artificial pond made for the purpose.
Conclusion
Ganesh Chaturthi festival instills the devotional fervor in the atmosphere. The 10 days of the celebration are filled with vibrancy, enthusiasm and spirituality. Devotees welcome Lord Ganesha in their homes and seek his blessing for a healthy, wealthy and prosperous life. Though it also has some negative effects on the environment but with a responsible attitude, we can definitely reduce it by following the natural and eco-friendly ways of celebrating the festival. By following these ways the festivity and celebration will never lost and our Mother Nature also remains safe and protected.
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