Vinayagar or Ganesha Sathurthi
Vinayagar or Ganesha Sathurthi is widely celebrated by Hindus everywhere. The festival will lasts for 10 days. The main sweet-dish for this function is modakas(kuzhukattai), also known as modagams in South India. A modaka is a sort of dumpling made from rice flour with a stuffing of coconut, jaggery (brown sugar) and some other ingredients.
Puranas say that Lord Ganesha was created by Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva. Parvati created Ganesha out of the sandalwood dough and breathed life into him. She made him stand as a gaurd at the door while she went to have her bath.
However, while Parvati was taking her bath, Lord Shiva happened to come there and as Ganesha didn't know him, he didn't allow him to enter the house. As a result, Lord Shiva got angry and he severed the head of the child and entered his house. But after realizing that he had beheaded his own son, Lord Shiva fixed the head of an elephant in place of Ganesha's head. In this way, Lord Ganesha acquired the image of the elephant-headed God.
Regional Celebrations importance given to ganesh chathurthi:
-Tamil Nadu: Traditional rituals are observed during the festival in Chennai, Madurai, and other Tamil Nadu cities.
-Karnataka: Traditional rituals are followed by Bengaluru, Mysuru, and other cities in Karnataka during the festival.
-Maharashtra : Grand processions and decorations are used by Mumbai, Pune, and other cities in Maharashtra to celebrate.
-Andhra Pradesh: The celebrations in Andhra Pradesh cities like Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, and others are marked by pomp and gaiety.Reason for Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi:
It is believed that Lord Ganesha was born on Chaturthi's fourth day in the bright half of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September), and this festival commemorates his birth.History of Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi:
The festival has been celebrated historically since King Shivaji's reign. Lokmanya Tilak transformed Ganesh Chaturthi from a private celebration to a major public festival where individuals from all castes can gather, pray, and unite during India's freedom struggle.
As environmental awareness has increased, people have started to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in an environmentally friendly manner.