India is often called as “Land of Festivals”. Yes, it is time for the kick start of the festival season in India. We begin with the Shravan month of the Hindu calendar dedicated to Lord of all Lords, Lord Shiva. We end with the grandeur celebrating the year end of the year with Birth of Jesus, celebrating Christmas. Every religion celebrates their new year in different way and on different dates of the calendar. Indians worship everything from cattle to iron, crops to reptiles. Yet again, here in India there are two festivals that are debuting on the same date of the calendar. Come the 17th of September and you would find different parts of the country illuminated.
We are beginning the celebration of the home coming of Lord Ganesh in different parts of the country. But, for Maharashtra is the 10-day grand celebration and welcoming ceremony of “Bappa Moriya” with modaks. The shamiyans have been pulled up and shielded with canopy to protect the Lord from the rain.
It is the time of the year when people bring home the Lord and believe that the stay of Lord would be a blessing for the whole family. The festival begins on the Shukla Chaturthi (4th day of the waxing moon period) of the Hindu calendar. People around the country celebrate the festival as a small-scale or large-scale festivity. It is the grandest celebration of the year in Maharashtra.
The states that participate in the elaborate celebrations are Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and some other parts of Western and Southern India. The 10-day long festival ends on the day of Anant Chaturdashi (14th day of the waxing moon period). The immersion of the idol is the most emotional moment for the devotees, who believe that every year “Bappa” comes home to bless them and leave their home with all their troubles and sorrows. The name given to Lord Ganesh “Vighnaharta” signifies the taking away all the trouble of his devotees.
The Vishwakarma Puja is worshipping the divine architect- Lord Vishwakarma. He was amongst the 14 precious things extracted after the “Samudra Manthan”. He constructed the city of Dwarka, the empire of Lord Krishna. He is the creator weapons and has been credited for the mechanics and architecture in Sthapatya Veda.
On this day, factories, industrial areas, craftsmen, welders, smiths and vehicle owners worship their tools. This is a grand celebration for most of the factories and automobile dealers. Prayers are performed for the better future and progress. The modern electronic servers also worship the lord for the smooth functioning and success of the work.
It is mostly observed on 17th September in different states such as Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Tripura. The engineering college and institutes also celebrate this day with grand celebration. The idol of Lord Vishwakarma is worshipped and the tools are also worshipped as a part of the ritual. This year, the nation is going to witness two of the great celebrations on the same day.
Image Source: santabanta.com
“Wishing you Happy Ganesh Chaturthi & Vishwakarma Puja”.
