Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most popular and widely celebrated festivals in India. It marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom, success, and good fortune. The festival is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganeshotsav and lasts for 10 days. During this time, devotees worship the idol of Lord Ganesha, offer prayers and sweets, and immerse the idol in water at the end of the festival. In this blog post, we will tell you everything you need to know about Ganesh Chaturthi 2023, including its date, history, significance, rituals, muhurat, puja vidhi, vrat katha, and more.

Date and Muhurat of Ganesh Chaturthi 2023

According to the Hindu calendar, Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the bright fortnight (shukla paksha) of the month of Bhadrapada. This corresponds to August or September in the Gregorian calendar. In 2023, Ganesh Chaturthi will begin on Tuesday, September 19 and end on Thursday, September 28. The auspicious time (muhurat) for installing the idol of Lord Ganesha is between 11:03 am and 1:30 pm on September 19. The best time for performing the puja is between 11:25 am and 1:55 pm on the same day.

History and Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi

There are many legends and stories associated with the origin and significance of Ganesh Chaturthi. One of the most popular ones is that Lord Ganesha was created by Goddess Parvati from the dirt of her body. She asked him to guard the entrance of her abode while she was taking a bath. Meanwhile, Lord Shiva came to visit Parvati and was stopped by Ganesha, who did not recognize him as his father. Shiva became angry and beheaded Ganesha with his trident. When Parvati saw this, she was devastated and demanded that Shiva bring her son back to life. Shiva then instructed his followers to bring the head of any creature they could find. They brought back the head of an elephant, which Shiva attached to Ganesha’s body and revived him. He also declared that Ganesha would be worshipped before any other god and would be the remover of all obstacles.

Another legend says that Lord Ganesha was born on the fourth day of Bhadrapada when the moon was in Leo (simha rashi). He was very fond of sweets and ate a lot of them on his birthday. He then decided to take a ride on his mouse (vahana) at night. However, his mouse stumbled upon a snake and dropped Ganesha on the ground. His stomach burst open and all the sweets came out. He quickly gathered them and stuffed them back into his stomach. He then tied the snake around his belly as a belt to prevent it from opening again. The moon saw this and laughed at Ganesha’s appearance. Ganesha felt insulted and cursed the moon to lose its brightness forever. The other gods intervened and persuaded Ganesha to modify his curse. He agreed to let the moon regain its brightness gradually but also decreed that anyone who looks at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi would face false accusations or bad luck.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated to commemorate the birth and glory of Lord Ganesha. He is considered as the god of new beginnings, wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. He is also known as Vighnaharta or Vighnaraja, which means the lord of obstacles or difficulties. Devotees believe that by worshipping him, they can overcome any challenges or problems in their lives. They also seek his blessings for success in their endeavors and happiness in their families.

Rituals and Puja Vidhi of Ganesh Chaturthi

The main rituals of Ganesh Chaturthi involve installing an idol or image of Lord Ganesha in one’s home or public place, performing puja or worship with various offerings, chanting mantras and hymns in praise of him, observing fast or vrat, listening to or narrating stories or katha about him, and immersing or visarjan the idol in water after 1.5, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days.

The puja vidhi or procedure for worshipping Lord Ganesha is as follows:

• Cleanse yourself by taking a bath and wearing clean clothes.

• Choose a suitable place for installing the idol and decorate it with flowers, garlands, lights, etc.

• Place a wooden platform or chowki and cover it with a red cloth.

• Place the idol of Lord Ganesha on the platform and apply a tilak or mark of vermilion on his forehead.

• Offer him a modak or sweet dumpling, which is his favorite food, along with other fruits, coconut, jaggery, etc.

• Light a lamp or diya and incense sticks or agarbatti near the idol.

• Invoke Lord Ganesha by chanting “Om Gan Ganapataye Namah” 108 times and offer him water, milk, honey, curd, etc. as part of the abhishek or ritual bath.

• Offer him fresh flowers, durva grass, betel leaves and nuts, etc. as part of the archana or adoration.

• Perform the aarti or waving of lamps and sing songs or bhajans in his honor.

• Pray to him for removing any obstacles in your life and granting you wisdom, success, and good fortune.

• Distribute the prasad or sacred food among your family members and friends.

Vrat Katha and Fasting Rules of Ganesh Chaturthi

Many devotees observe a fast or vrat on Ganesh Chaturthi to express their devotion and gratitude to Lord Ganesha. The vrat katha or story behind the fast is as follows:

There was once a king named Shursen who had a son named Sumukh. Sumukh was very handsome and intelligent but he was also very arrogant and proud. He used to insult and humiliate anyone who came across him. One day, he met a sage named Durvasa who was known for his short temper. Sumukh made fun of the sage’s appearance and behavior. The sage became furious and cursed Sumukh to become an elephant-headed man. Sumukh realized his mistake and begged for forgiveness. The sage told him that he could only be freed from the curse if he worshipped Lord Ganesha on the fourth day of Bhadrapada with full faith and devotion.

Sumukh followed the sage’s advice and observed a fast on Ganesh Chaturthi. He installed an idol of Lord Ganesha in his palace and offered him various delicacies. He also chanted his names and sang his praises. He spent the whole day in meditation and prayer. At night, he performed the aarti and distributed the prasad among the poor and needy. He then slept near the idol with a pure heart.

The next morning, he woke up to find that he had regained his original form. He was overjoyed and thanked Lord Ganesha for his mercy and grace. He also vowed to never be rude or arrogant again. He became a humble and generous king who ruled his kingdom with justice and compassion.

The fasting rules or vrat niyam for Ganesh Chaturthi are as follows:

• The fast begins at sunrise and ends at moonrise on the same day.

• The fast can be either nirjala (without water) or phalahar (with fruits and milk).

• The fast can be either partial (eating only once in the day) or complete (eating nothing at all).

• The fast can be either ekadashi (eating only sattvic food) or sankashti (eating only modak).

• The fast should be accompanied by puja, mantra, katha, aarti, etc.

• The fast should be broken by eating modak or any other sweet after seeing the moon.

Benefits of Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi

Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi has many benefits for the devotees as well as for the society. Some of them are:

• It strengthens one’s faith and devotion towards Lord Ganesha and other gods.

• It enhances one’s mental, physical, and spiritual well-being by following the rituals and fasting rules.

• It brings peace, harmony, and happiness in one’s family and community by sharing the joy and blessings of Lord Ganesha.

• It promotes cultural awareness and diversity by respecting the traditions and customs of different regions and communities.

• It fosters social responsibility and environmental consciousness by using eco-friendly materials for making idols and immersing them in water.

We hope this blog post has given you a comprehensive overview of Ganesh Chaturthi 2023. We wish you all a very happy and prosperous Ganesh Chaturthi. May Lord Ganesha bless you with wisdom, success, and good fortune. Ganpati Bappa Morya!