Last Updated on 2 September 2024 IST | Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that is about the worship of Lord Ganesha who is considered to be holy at the time of commencing something new. But have we ever wondered that our whole community is worshipping Lord Ganesha still all our tasks don’t go as we expect them to. Why does this happen? It is because of the fact we don’t know the right method to attain benefits from Lord Aadi Ganesha. Let us explore the blog completely to know about the festival and how we can attain benefits from Aadi Ganesha.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: Introduction
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: Ganesh Chaturthi is one of those festivals that have attracted a large community of people. So before throwing some light on the festival, let us know something about Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha is the younger son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Lord Ganesha is believed to be sacred for every soul because his resemblance is present inside every soul in the Mool Kamal where he reflectively resides and by which we can attain benefits from him.
Now the question arises how to attain benefits from him? The answer is quite simple and lies in the worship of Aadi Ganesh (The First God Ever or The Supreme Almighty), by whose worship, benefits from Lord Ganesha can be attained too as He gives the real mantras to be chanted to attain benefits from Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha is also designated with the name Vighnaharta (the destroyer of sins) which is only a misconception as this should be used for only the Supreme Almighty God (Aadi Ganesha). Hence worshiping Aadi Ganesha instead of Lord Ganesha will benefit mankind.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 Date
This year’s festival of Ganesh Chaturthi commences from 7 September 2024, and lasts for 10 days. During the period of 10 days, people worship the idol of Lord Ganesha and on the day of Anant Chaturdashi, that’s the tenth day, the idol of Ganesha is immersed in the nearest water body which is called Visarjan. The festival takes place in the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar and it is celebrated for 10 days.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 Celebrations
The celebrations typically last for 10 days, culminating in Ganesh Visarjan on Tuesday, September 17. Here are some key aspects of the festivities:
1. Idol Installation: Idols of Lord Ganesha are installed in homes and public pandals (temporary stages). The installation is done during the Madhyahna Muhurat, which is considered the most auspicious time. For 2024, the Madhyahna Ganesha Puja Muhurat is from 11:03 AM to 1:34 PM on September 7.
2. Rituals and Puja: Daily prayers, offerings, and aarti (devotional songs) are performed. Devotees offer sweets like modaks, which are believed to be Lord Ganesha’s favorite.
3. Cultural Events: Various cultural programs, including music, dance, and plays, are organized. In cities like Mumbai, famous pandals such as Lalbaugcha Raja and Siddhivinayak attract millions of devotees.
4. Community Activities: The festival fosters a sense of community with people coming together to celebrate. Many also engage in charitable activities during this period.
5. Visarjan (Immersion): On the last day, the idols are taken in grand processions to nearby water bodies for immersion. This symbolizes the return of Lord Ganesha to his celestial abode, taking away the misfortunes of his devotees⁶.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: People bring smaller Ganesh idols at their home for a selected time period which ranges from a minimum one and a half-day to ten days, perform Aarti followed by Visarjan. This practice is however against the method of worship as mentioned in Holy Scriptures, still followed blindly because of the unawareness about true spiritual knowledge. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on a grand level in the state of Maharashtra. However, these days due to the influence of social media and mass media it is celebrated all over the country.
What is the History of Ganesh Chaturthi?
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated to mark the day on which Ganesh Ji was brought to life with an elephant head after he was killed by God Shiv when Ganesh Ji stopped Shiv Ji from entering the house of Goddess Parvati. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi was first celebrated in 1893 by Lokmanya Tilak. During the British era, the Britishers restricted the gathering of Indians as they were suspicious of people revolting against them.
■ Also Read: Ganesh Chaturthi-Reality Check
To ensure Indians are able to talk and discuss their plans to fight for independence against the Britishers, Lokmanya Tilak came up with the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi. The temporary podiums, conducting the puja and Aarti provided freedom fighters with the perfect cover-up for planning their actions to achieve independence.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 Events
- Mumbai: Known for its grand celebrations, Mumbai hosts some of the most iconic Ganesh pandals. The processions and immersions are a sight to behold, with thousands participating.
- Pune: Another city famous for its Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, Pune’s Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati is particularly renowned.
- Hyderabad: The Khairatabad Ganesh is one of the tallest idols in India and attracts a large number of devotees.
- Bengaluru: Celebrations here include eco-friendly practices with clay idols and minimal use of plastics.
What Is Visarjan?
- On the 10th day of the festival which marks the completion of Ganesh Chaturthi, idols of Lord Ganesha are immersed in flowing water. While carrying on the procession with the Ganesh Idol people generally chant slogans such as “Ganpati Bappa Morya” which invite him to come soon in the next year. This year Anant Chaturdashi falls on September 9, 2024, Sunday.
- Culturally, Visarjan is generally undertaken for damaged idols. So the Visarjan undertaken during Ganesh Chaturthi is not in accordance with the cultural values. In the era of Lokamanya Tilak, very few Ganesh idols were immersed in water on the 10th day.
- But today, since almost a majority of the population irrespective of their religion bring a Ganesh Idol at their home; a lot of idols are immersed in local water bodies, rivers, and beaches which not only lead to water pollution but also lead to ill-treatment of the idols the next day.
- Sadly, when these idols are washed ashore on the next day they are literally dumped in sewage water. Is this how the Idol of the most worshipped God should be treated after worshipping for a good ten days? Do you really think you become entitled to the blessings of Lord Ganesha after doing this?
Is This a Correct Way to Attain Benefits From Lord Ganesha?
The answer to this question is NO. The most revered books of Hinduism namely Srimad Bhagwad Gita and the four Vedas do not mention the worship of any kind for these gods. As per chapter 8 verse 13 of Holy Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta, the devotees are asked to only chant the mantra “Om” and nothing else. (Although this mantra is also incomplete with respect to salvation).
This mantra belongs to Jyoti Niranjan (Kaal/Satan) who happens to be the grandfather of Lord Ganesha. So the mantra “Om Ganeshaya Namaha” is the wrong mantra. The correct beej-mantra to be chanted to take benefits from him is something else and is revealed by the Supreme Almighty or His Complete Saint to the willing devotee.
It is mentioned in Holy book Shri Shiv Puran, Rudra Samhita-Adhyay 6, 7 and 9 Shrimad Devi Bhagwat Puran, Skand 7, Adhyay 36, Page 562 – 563 and in Srimad Bhagawad Gita chapter 16 verses 23-24 that those who worship opposite to the injunctions of the Holy scriptures do not attain happiness and salvation and that does not attain any sorts of benefits. This is one of the main reasons why mankind is enduring suffering despite being so devout and worshipping these gods.
Does This Mean These Gods Shouldn’t Be Worshipped or Shown Respect to?
These gods are respectful but certainly, they should not be worshipped because these gods cannot really help their devotees during adverse times. This is because they cannot give a devotee more than what is written in their destiny. Lord Ganesh couldn’t avert his beheading by his own father-Shiva. Think, how will he be able to avert the sufferings of his devotees? These demigods cannot make changes in the events that are already determined to occur.
For that matter, Srimad Bhagwad Gita strongly condemns all those who worship these demigods, deities including Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh, and has referred to those people as foolish people of demonic nature in chapter 7 verse 12-15. Also in the fifth Veda-Sukshmaved, the correct mantra of lord Ganesh is mentioned, and by chanting only that mantra after acquiring it from an Enlightened Saint will a devout soul get all the benefits from him.
Else the way people are worshipping him presently will never lead to any benefits from him. Everyone is getting their own fortunes, but the Supreme God is the one who can give more than what is written in the destiny. This clearly indicates that we should not be worshipping these demigods as there is only the Supreme Almighty worthy of being worshipped whose identity is unique.
Who Is The Supreme Almighty (The Aadi Ganesha)?
‘Aadi Ganesh‘ phrase is used for the Supreme God Himself Who was present from the beginning, and has supremacy over everything and capable of giving us more than our destinies destroying our sins, He is Kavir Dev or Kabir Saheb. He is the real Aadi Ganesha, He created the universe by His power of the word. He is the Supreme Power that we have been searching for since ages having a human-like resemblance and resides in His everlasting abode Satlok where everything is immortal.
Even the Holy Scriptures testifies that Kabir Saheb is the Supreme Almighty and is nurturing everything everywhere. Kabir Saheb appeared by Himself on the holy land of India. Though India being known for the Hindu religion, still the name of Kabir Saheb is testified in every Holy Scriptures including Holy Vedas, Holy Geeta ji, Holy Quran Sharif, Holy Guru Granth Saheb, Holy Bible,etc.
- In Holy RigVeda, Mandal no 9: Sukt 1 Mantra 1-9, Sukt 20 Mantra 1, Sukt 82 Mantra 1-2, Sukt 86 Mantra 26-27, Sukt 94 Mantra 1, Sukt 96 Mantra 16-20 and in Holy YajurVeda in Chapter 29 Verse 25 and in various other verses, Lord Kabir is mentioned as Kavir Dev.
- In Holy Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta, chapter 8 Verse 3, 8-10, chapter 15 verse 4, 17 and chapter 18 verse 62,64,66, Lord Kabir is mentioned as Param Akshar Purush.
- In the Holy Quran Sharif in Surat Furqan 25 Aayat 52-59 it has been testified that Allah Kabir is the Allah Tala who has created the entire universe in 6 days.
- In Holy Guru Granth Sahib on page 721 it has been written that the Kabir Saheb is the immortal and the only Supreme God
- In the Holy Bible Iyov 36:5 – Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB). See, El is Kabir, and despiseth, not any; He is Kabir in ko’ach lev (strength of understanding).
Translation: Supreme God is Kabir, but despises no one. He is Kabir, and firm in his purpose.
Can We Attain the Supreme Almighty?
Yes, everyone who is in human form can attain Supreme Almighty. However, the way to attain Him is guided by an Enlightened Saint. It has been told in Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta that the one who will correctly brief the creation of the universe as mentioned in Holy Geeta ji chapter 15 verse 1-4 will be the Truly Enlightened Saint. Only Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj from Haryana, India has been able to manifest the meaning of the above-mentioned verses as He is the only one who is imparting true spiritual knowledge and a true way of worship based on all Holy Scriptures.
Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj has been manifesting through His devotees that His shelter is the one to take refuge into as He guarantees to provide benefits here and take us to our native abode Satlok after our deaths by giving us salvation. Currently, it is the prime time to attain salvation as He is being sent by Supreme God Kabir Himself to ease our paths onto the road of attaining salvation.
To get detailed information about the way to attain Almighty and salvation, please listen to His spiritual sermons on the Sadhna TV channel from 7:30 pm IST onwards. To take initiation from Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj please click here to fill the initiation form. For more information, you can download the Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj Android App from Google Play Store.
FAQs about Ganesh Chaturthi
Hinduism’s 10-day celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, commemorates the birth of the elephant-headed deity Ganesha, the god of wisdom and prosperity. It starts on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the Hindu calendar’s sixth month, Bhadrapada (August–September).
The Public Celebration of this festival was started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in Pune in the year 1893. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated to mark the significance of the cycle of birth, life, and death as Lord Shiva Beheaded Ganesha and revived him by putting an Elephant’s head on him.
Soul’s birth-death cycle is symbolised by this ceremony just as Ganesha was made of clay and earth, so too is his representational figure. The statue is submerged in water so that Ganesha can leave the devotees’ homes or temples, where the Ganesha Chaturthi ceremonies are performed, and return to his own.
In order to get the blessings of the Supreme Almighty while starting anything new, we should worship Aadi Ganesha ( The First God ) but due to the absence of Completion Spiritual Knowledge and many other misconceptions people started worshipping Lord Ganesha instead of Aadi Ganesha.
