Mangalore welcomes Lord Ganesh with pomp and gaiety

Mangalore welcomes Lord Ganesh with pomp and gaiety

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, September 11: Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. As per Hindu calendar, Ganesh Chaturthi is observed in the month of Bhaadrapada starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period) which falls around August or September. This festival will end on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period).

 

 

All the Hindu prepares the best recipes specially ‘moodak’ to celebrate the event. People put idol of the Lord Ganesha for 5 to 10 at their houses and public places and worship the idol with religious fervour. After 10 days, the idol will dip into lakes, rivers and the sea happens all over India which shows the end of the festival which is also known as ‘ganpati visarjan’. People says “ganpati bappa moriya’


Mangaloreans celebrate Ganesh Chathurthy with religious fervour

On account of the birth day of Lord Ganesh, devotees in Mangalore welcomed Lord Ganesh amid pomp and gaiety as the elephant-headed God arrived in his devotees’ homes and pandals in the early morning of Saturday, September 11.


Preparation of this festival starts months before, on the first day of festival the beautifully decorated sculptures of Ganesha are installed in the sacred corners of the homes and lavishly adorned mandaps (pandals) in some important public places by various organisations. A special ritual is performed on the first day to invite the lord with special phrases and verbal material offerings. It involves the ceremony of cleansing the Ganesha’s idol with the five nectars of milk, honey, curd, butter and jaggery in between washing with water. These five components together are called Panchamrit in Sanskrit. This is the one reason why Lord Ganesha is considered to be the most polite and soft in his character.

Idols of all shapes and sizes of Lord Ganesh, considered the destroyer of the evil, were installed after traditional pooja. Every locality is in competition with the other localities to make the outstanding Murti and mandaps than others. People throng these mandaps thrice a day in the morning, afternoon and at evening to perform aarti and sing hymns from religious scriptures Sholkas. The Ganesha’s favorite sweet-dish Modkas, also called Modagam are distributed among the devotees which is equally delicious in taste. Through out ten days the cultural programs goes on like Music, dance and orchestra and some people indulge in discussing the current affairs and social issues as this routine is followed from the nationalist leader Bal Ganghar Tilak, who took the Ganesha idols to the streets from temples and homes to spread his message in guise of religious festival.

Be there on the most important day of the Ganesh Chaturthi, the final day known as Anant Chaudas, when all the people clad in their new cloths starts for a huge procession to participate in the most vital of all, the Visarjan ceremony of the Lord. It will be really a golden opportunity to watch the immersion ceremony of Lord Ganesha idol amid full pomp and show in to the waters of Arabian Sea. Placed on the flat bed trucks the Murtis (idols) are carried to the sea where the fire crackers declare the arrival of the Murtis to shores and it is the time when all the people round the God to seek his blessing and bid adieu with the cries ’Jai Ganesha’ - return soon next year’ and slowly and gradually the Murti is immersed. The ceremony is a life long experience, a true way to understand the rich culture and heritage of India.