Ganesh Festival

On the day of Ganesha Chavithi, meditation on the stories connected with Lord Ganesha use to start early in the morning. Then, after taking a bath, devotees go to the temple and offer prayers to Lord Ganesha as well as offering Him some coconuts and sweet pudding. If one prays with faith and devotion then He may remove all the obstacles that one experiences on the spiritual path.
Lord Ganesha is the elephant-headed God. He is worshipped first in any prayers. His names are repeated first before any auspicious work is begun and also before any kind of worship is begun.

He is the Lord of power and wisdom. He is the eldest son of Lord Shiva and the elder brother of "Skanda" or Kartikeya. He is the energy of Lord Shiva and so He is called the son of Shankar and Uma Devi. By worshipping Lord Ganesha mothers hope to earn for their sons the sterling virtues of Ganesha.

At home, people decorate the floors of their houses with "Kolams" (designs) using rice flour. A fresh image of Ganesha in clay is made and worshiped on this day. A decorated umbrella is placed behind the idol. On a wooden plank, plantain leaf is placed and raw rice is spread over it. The idol is placed on the plantain leaf and decorated with flowers. Then the puja is performed, One hundred and eight different names of the Lord are repeated after the preliminary ceremonies and 108 different flowers are thrown in worship over them.

Different varieties of sweet puddings are prepared and offered to the Lord. Different varieties of fruits are also offered. After the puja people listen to the story of how Lord Krishna cleared His character regarding the Syamantaka jewel. Then they bow to the Lord to seek His blessings. Take fresh spiritual resolves and pray to Lord Ganesha for inner spiritual strength to attain success in all your undertakings.

After being worshipped for two days, or in some cases ten days, the idol is taken in a grand procession and immersed in the sea. Yudhisthira, the hero of the Mahabharata, Damayanti, the queen of the Nishada King Nala, Indra, the Lord of Heavens and even Krishna, the expounder of the Bhagavatgita are said to have devoutly worshipped Ganesha to obtain their desired ends.

Ganesha Chaturthi is one of the most popular Hindu festivals. This is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is the day most sacred to Lord Ganesha and falls on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of 'Bhadrapada' (August - September). Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated throughout India, as well as by the devoted Hindus all across of the world.