Welcoming Ganpati Bappa amidst COVID-19
By: Future Point | 09-Sep-2021
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Lord Ganesha, the most popular deity in India and across the globe is all set to come to your homes to bestow his blessings to affirm prosperity in your homes.
Lord Ganesha is probably the favourite lord of kids as well due to their adorable stories and naughty tales. Everyone in India especially in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha, Goa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh celebrate his arrival with great fervor.
The holy festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated every year with great pomp and show in the country with end number of devotees thronging temples and 'Ganeshotsav pandals' to offer their prayers. After prolonged festivities of ten days, the devotees finally bid adieu to Ganpati for the year by immersing it in water bodies.
If you want to know more about the festival and its rituals or if you have any astrology-related questions, get in touch with best astrologers on Future Point.
Significance and puja timings of Ganpati Mahotsava
Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated from September 10 in 2021. The festival will come to an end on September 21.
Ganesh Chaturthi also called as Vinayaka Chaturthi is a popular Hindu festival. The devotees bring home idols of Lord Ganesh to offer their prayers to the deity, eat delicacies, have fun with friends and family, and in the end, immerse the idols.
They also offer “modak” to Lord Ganesha which is His favourite sweet. The festival marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, the god of wisdom and prosperity. It falls in the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar, in the month of August-September.
Ganpati ji symbolizes wisdom, writing, travel, commerce and good fortune. He is known by 108 names and one of these names is “Vighnaharta” means the one who removes all obstacles in one’s life.
Folk tale
The Indian mythology mentions that once Goddess Parvati created baby Lord Ganesh using sandalwood paste and asked him to guard the entrance while she took a bath.
When Lord Shiva arrived at the entrance and told Ganesh that he wanted to visit Goddess Parvati, Ganesha denied to allow him the entrance.
This made Lord Shiva angry and enraged he severed the child's head. When Goddess Parvati realized the whole story she pleaded Lord Shiva to bring him back to life which Lord Shiva did by instructing his followers to search for the head of the first living creature they could find.
However, they could only find a baby elephant's head. That is how Lord Ganesha came back to life with the head of an elephant.
Puja Timings
This year the tithi for the Chaturthi will last from 12:17 am to 10 pm on September 10. The timing for Puja rituals will begin from 11:03 am to 1:33 pm.
Anant Chaturdashi
Anant Chaturdashi is the day devotees bid farewell to Lord Ganesh after ten days festivities by immersing the diety's idols in the local water bodies and taking promise from him to return next year. Devotees play devotional songs and dance during processions.
Impact of corona
However, with the spread and fear of Covid-19, such grand festivities would not be possible this year.
It is all the more sensible to curtail the festivities to the simpler one so as to keep everyone safe in this time of crisis.
Many governments like that in Maharashtra, which usually holds grand celebrations every year, the state government has issued guidelines as part of their efforts to scale down festivities.
People have been suggested to purchase and take home Idols in advance to prevent crowding and the risk of the virus spreading. The height of idols have also been mentioned and restricted.
At some places the corona virus has also made it as a theme for Ganesh idols this year, Ganpati idols are portrayed as a COVID-19 warrior.
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Alternatives that can be adopted to celebrate without compromising on festivities:
With so much awareness about the environment and the pandemic, the first thing that people take care of is protection of the environment.
With this noble thought in mind, the trend of using traditional clays for making Ganesha idols has become a trend these days.
These organic idols are 100 per cent biodegradable and can be dissolved into water completely even in a water tank at home. As immersing idols in water bodies is not allowed this year, one can easily resort to this method in the convenience of our homes.
Though devotees prefer grand or at least middle-sized idols, but the process of bidding adieu to big idols seems tough this year. A small idol can easily be immersed in water at home and this water can then be poured in the plants to ensure no wastage at all.
The concept of tree Ganesha idols has been in rage since last few years. In this concept the idols are crafted with natural colours, fertilizers and soil with seeds in them. It is overwhelming to see a plant growing out of the Ganesha idol and instead of immersing the idol, one can place it into a pot to water every day.
Those with creative and artistic inclinations can make their own Ganesha out of material available at home. The simplest way is to create a dough using clay, organic glue and paper pieces and then mould it into an idol to be painted with the organic paint later.
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Some tips while installing the Ganesha idol in your home
- Keeping the idol of Ganesh ji in the north-east corner of the house is considered most auspicious. This direction is considered best for worship. Apart from this, you can also place the idol of Ganesh ji in the east or west direction of the house.
- While placing the idol of Ganesh ji, keep in mind that both the feet of the Lord are touching the ground. It is believed that this ensures success in life. Do not keep the idol of Ganesh ji in the south direction.
- It is considered best to keep the idol of Ganesh ji in sitting posture in your house. It is believed that this brings happiness and prosperity in the house. Put such an idol of Ganesh ji in the house in which his trunk is tilted to the left and there should be only one idol of Ganesh ji in the house of worship.
- Keeping an idol of Ganesh ji made of cow dung in the house is considered very auspicious. Apart from this, keeping Ganesha in crystal in the house eliminates the Vastu defects. It is considered lucky to keep Ganesha made of turmeric.
- Whenever we bring Ganpati ji in our house it is necessary to get kee mooshak and modak laddoos along with him. Because without them the idol of Ganesh ji is considered incomplete.
- If there is a Peepal, Mango or Neem tree near your house, then you can install Ganesh ji idol there too. It is believed that this brings positivity in the house.
- Never keep the idol of Ganesh ji in dark or dirty place. The idol of Ganesh ji should not be kept even under the stairs.
- If you want to get the blessings of Lord Ganesha, then offer him Modak and Durva in his worship.
Astrological significance
On the day of Ganesh Chaturthi, Auspicious conjunction of planets or shubh sanyog is forming. On this day 6 planets will remain in their own signs. Saturn will be in Capricorn. Venus will be in Libra, Mercury will be in Virgo, Sun will be in Leo and Rahu will be in Taurus while Ketu will be in Scorpion. This is such an auspicious condition of the celestial sky.
Lord Ganesha will shower his blessings on all his devotees but particularly these four zodiac signs will gain the maximum of benefits:
Taurus: The people of this zodiac will be blessed by Lord Ganesha. According to the astrological calculations, the position of the planets is looking favorable for you. You will be supported by luck. You can start a new job. There will be growth in career. Financial condition will be better than before. There will be chances of getting profit from investment.
Gemini: The 10 days of Ganesh Chaturthi festival will be wonderful for you. There will be special blessings of Ganpati Bappa. There will be progress in career. There will be chances of profit in business. Financial positions and wealth would improve. During this, there will be chances of getting success in whatever work you initiate with.
Leo: Ganeshotsav will bring you happiness. The long standing troubles will come to an end. With the grace of Lord Ganesha, your pending work will be completed. There will be strong chances of increase in wealth. Your work can be appreciated in the workplace. There will be many opportunities to earn profit.
Virgo: This time will not be less than a boon for you. All your work will be successfully done and you may make sudden monetary gains. You will get better results in both professional and personal life. There will be tremendous improvement in the economic condition. Spouse will give you full support. Luck is with you during this Ganeshotsav.
Future Point team wishes its readers Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. May Ganpati Bappa fulfill your lives with luck and prosperity!