Subhechcha Ganguly 
The ten-day auspicious Ganesha Chaturthi has begun after two years of restricted celebration. People all over India celebrate this festival with great fanfare and display. However, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, etc. are where it is primarily observed.
On the first day of the festival, people welcome Ganpatti Bappa by placing Lord Ganesha idols in their homes. After decorating and worshipping the elephant-headed God for three, five, or ten days, devotees say goodbye to him by submerging the idols in water. The length of time devotees keep Lord Ganesha idols at home for worship is entirely up to them. The celebration of this festival is rooted in many myths and legends.
Story behind the Birth of Lord Ganesha
According to the Gregorian calendar, Lord Ganesha is said to have been born on the Chaturthi Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the Bhadrapada month, which falls on August 31 this year. According to the well-known account of Lord Ganesha’s birth, which is mentioned in some ancient texts, Goddess Parvati created Lord Ganesha from the sandalwood paste she used for bathing. She asked him to keep watch at the entrance until she returned from the bathroom.Lord Shiva attempted to meet his wife while performing his duty. Lord Shiva became enraged and severed Lord Ganesha’s head from his body after the latter turned down his request to meet Goddess Parvati. When Parvati saw this, she became furious and demanded to destroy everything if she didn’t get her son back. Lord Shiva requested to bring the head of a baby animal whose mother was facing away from her child . This is how Lord Ganesha got his elephant head.
This festival also evokes a sense of patriotism
Since the reign of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the festival has been celebrated in a lavish manner. However, Bal Gangadhar Tilak revived the festival to bring the populace together and close the caste divide. In 1893, he founded the Kesha Keshavi Naik Chawl Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal in Girgaum, which is still in operation today. He also started the custom of erecting Lord Ganesha idols during the festival in order to instil a sense of nationalism. People think he was the first to erect a sizable clay statue of Lord Ganesh in a public location and inaugurate the 10-day celebration.
By Subhechcha Ganguly
