A couple of days ago, the autumnal festive season was kicked off in India with the worship of Lord Ganesha, a revered god in Hinduism. He is worshiped specially sometime in the end of Aug-early September which is believed to be his birthday. He is known to be the child of Shiva and Parvati the subtle male & female energy that exists in the universe.
Like many other Vedic Deities who are modeled on elements of nature, birds and animals, he is as compassionate as the elephant whom he closely resembles. If a devotee is able to connect to his energy, he is the guardian angel, who is most adept at demolishing all obstacles that may arise in the course of life. All worships or rituals in Hinduism are initiated only after offering prayers to him and obtaining his blessings. Each part of his body has a deeper meaning, a spiritual significance which unveils why he plays an important role in the life of a devotee.
He is everywhere, from homes to to roadside make shift pandals smiling gracefully through the eyes of every idol. The birthday boy is appeased with lots of goodies before being immersed with tears in nearby rivers, lakes or sea.
Read the wonderful account of fellow blogger who has described the festival in great detail right from food, decor, idol to immersion.
http://kanwalkwilltravel.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/festivals-of-india-ganesh-chaturthi/
2017 Ganesh Festival – 25th August
2018 Ganesh Festival – 13th September
2019 Ganesh Festival – 2nd September
Awww great post! I love the picture! 😀
Thanks Lauren
I am a christian married to a Hindu and this time my daughter asked me what are Lord Ganesha’s attributes and I could not answer, thank you for the in depth explanation and picture, you saved me. Special thanks from my daughter to you too. She read and enjoyed the post too.
Seems like Ganesha chose me to answer your daughter’s query. I feel ever so blessed. Thanks to you and your daughter.
😀 Believe it or not I was about to upload the exact same pic that you have put up on this post and write about the various attributes of Ganesha on the festival day.
Ha Ha 🙂 Actually, I received it from Dr Newton Kondaveti one of my spiritual teachers and I was completely bowled over by it. I am always seeking the inner meaning behind all our gods and their deeper meaning.
Thanks for linking to my post Sangeeta! So happy to read this post… the stories and myths are all fine – but at the end of the day it is the symbolism behind it all, which is truly important to grasp and follow.
Thank You!! I loved your post and to say the truth, it triggered the idea for this post.