Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations- Radha Krishna Temple
Ganesh Chaturthi one of the popular Hindu festival is also called Vinayaka Chaturthi. It is an important festival given the fact that Lord Ganesh is believed to be remover of obstacles the reason why he is worshiped at most religious festivals. This day is celebrated to welcome the elephant headed God of wisdom to the earth on 4th day of the waxing moon cycle in the Hindu lunar calendar month of Bhadrapada. The Radha Krishna Temple the headquarters of JKYog, close on the heels of a grand JKYog Janmashtami Mahotsav - Global Religious and Cultural Festival on August 11-12 is gearing up this time to welcome the God of wisdom on 22nd of August: Click HERE to register
Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations- Birth of Lord Ganesh
The stories behind the birth of the elephant headed Lord Ganesh varies between Parvati creating him from the dirt from her body to protect her while she was bathing in the river to Shiva and Parvati creating Lord Ganesh on the behest of celestial Gods to protect them and to annihilate the demons. According to Shiv Puran the reason for his elephant head seem to have emanated from an enraged Lord Shiva slaying off Ganesh’s head upon being refused permission by Ganesh to enter Maa Parvati’s premises and later reviving Ganesh’s life by replacing his head with that of his devotee elephant Gajursura’s head . https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/astrology/hindu-mythology/heres-why-every-puja-starts-with-worshiping-lord-ganesha/articleshow/70565026.cms. And the reason ascribed for Ganesh’s single tusk is that when Veda Vyas wrote the great epic Mahabharata Lord Ganesh the God of knowledge wrote the whole Mahabharat as Ved Vyas composed using one of his tusks as a pen.
Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations-The Festival
The 10-day festival of Lord Ganesh the son of Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati this year will be celebrated on 22nd August. Beginning on the 4th day of the waxing moon cycle the10 day Ganesh Chaturthi festival culminates on the 14h day of the waxing cycle (Chaturdashi) when the idol is taken in a colorful procession to be the immersed(Visarjan) in a lake, river or the ocean of the idol of Ganesh. The length of the celebration differs depending on individual family tradition ranging anywhere between 1 ½ days to 3,5,7,or 11 days. The festivities begin with much jubilation of bringing the idol of the God home and establish a huge statue of Ganesh in a public place. The idol is brought home and installed on the day of the festival or a day earlier at an auspicious time decided ahead of time by the priests with happy chanting of “Ganpati Bappa Morya”. After installing the idol (pranaprathsithta - infusion of deity into the idol) devotees pay homage through 16 different ways of prayers and the idol is moved from its position. The fourth and the last step of the festival is the saying of goodbye to the Lord with the visarjan mantra:
मूशिक वाहन मोदक हस्ता चामर कर्ण विळम्बित सूत्रा।
वामन रूप महेश्वर पुत्रा विघ्न विनायक पाद नमस्ते॥
mUshika vAhana modaka hastA cAmara karNa viLambita sUtrA |
vAmana rUpa maheshvara putrA vighna vinAyaka pAda namaste ||
21 pierces of the sweet dish Modak is offered which is a favorite dish sweetmeat of Lord Ganesh along with coconut yoghurt, and puffed rice(Poha).Then the idol is carried in a procession to a water body for immersion amidst energetic chanting of “Ganapati Bappa Morya, Agle Baras Tu Jaldi Aa" seeking the early return of the Gnaesha the following year.
Highlights 22nd August
- Join Samuhik Special Ganesh Pooja by Pandit ji
- 10 AM - 11 AM CST (8:30 PM - 9:30 PM IST)
- 6 PM - 7 PM CST (India: August 23 - 4:30 AM - 5:30 AM IST)
- Do Pooja of Your Ganesh from Your Home?
- Om Gam Ganapatey Namo Namah - Mantra Kirtan Jap Anushthan
- Sankat Nashan Stotra (Melodious)
- LIVE Darshan and Pooja by Panditji
Shri Ganesha Sthapana Poojan Samagri - Click for Samagri list.