Ganesh Chaturthi, the ten-day festival dedicated to Lord Ganpati, is celebrated with utmost oomph and fervour across the nation. The festivities end with Ganesh Visarjan, which is referred to as Anant Chaturdashi. Devotees bid farewell to Bappa on this day with the belief that he will return to their homes to bless them next year. This year, Ganesh Chaturthi began on August 31, Wednesday, and Anant Chaturdashi will be celebrated on September 9, Friday.
Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day of the sixth month of the Hindu lunar calendar, which is the Bhadrapada month. It is the fourteenth day of the month when the ten-day long extravaganza comes to an end, and that day is called Chaturdashi (Chatur means four and Dashi means ten).
Coincidentally, when Ganeshotsav (festival of Lord Ganesh) comes to an end, it marks the day of worshipping Lord Vishnu. He is known as Anant (one who has no end). As per mythology, Sushila took an ‘anant’ vow after her marriage to Kaundinya and sought blessings from Lord Vishnu for a prosperous life.
As a symbol of her faith, she tied a thread to her wrist and was leading a blissful life. However, one day, her husband dismissed the worth of the holy thread by claiming that the reason behind their successful life was his hard work. Soon, the couple started facing a series of misfortunes, which made Kaundinya realise his mistake.
SHUBH MUHURAT
This year, the shubh muhurat (auspicious timings) for worshipping Lord Ganesh is from 6:03 am to 6:07 pm. Ravi Yog is from 6:03 am to 11:35 am, while the Sukarma Yog is from morning to 6:12 pm.
PUJA VIDHI
People perform aarti by lighting a diya and incense sticks. After that, devotees offer flowers, modak, haldi-kumkum, roli, paan, etc. to the idol before it is carried for visarjan.
