Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda, the Ganapati Atharva Shirsha Upanishad, and the Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted.įor 10 days, from Bhadrapad Shudh Chaturthi to the Ananta Chaturdashi, Ganesha is worshipped. The statue is anointed with red unguent, typically made of Kumkum & Sandalwood paste. Coconut, jaggery, 21 modakas, 21 durva (trefoil) blades of grass and red flowers are offered. After this the ritual called as Shhodashopachara (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. The priest, usually clad in red silk dhoti and shawl, then symbolically invokes life into the statue by chanting mantras. or are theme based decorations, which depict religious themes or current events. The pandals are decorated specially for the festival, either by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions. Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mandapas (pandals) in every locality. The size of these statues may vary from 3/4 of an inch to over 25 feet. They are beautifully decorated & depict Lord Ganesh in various poses. Two to three months prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, artistic clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by specially skilled artisans. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and by Hindus in the United States, Canada, Singapore and Fiji. While celebrated all over India, it is most elaborate in western and southern India. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 20 August and 15 September. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). Ganesha is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel. It is the day Shiva declared his elder son Ganesha as superior to all the gods. Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu festival of Ganesha also called Vinayagar in Tamil Nadu, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival.