Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in your apartment
Ganesh Chaturthi, which is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganeshotsav, is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Ganesha. This Hindu festival is celebrated with the belief that Lord Ganesha bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees for the duration of this festival. The festival is celebrated usually between 19th August and 15th September, every year. Ganesh Chaturthi lasts for 10 days and ends on ‘Anant Chaturdashi’ (14th day of the waxing moon period). Places like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa celebrate this festival with great religious fervour.
Significance of the festival:
Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, was on this day declared superior to all the other gods. Ganesha is widely worshipped as the God of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune, and customarily prayed at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of a travel. This festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of ‘Bhaadrapada’ which starts on the ‘Shuklachaturthi’ (fourth day of the waxing moon period). There are several stories in Hindu mythology which are associated with the birth of this elephant-headed god. Ganesha’s vehicle is the ‘Mooshak’ (rat) and he loves ‘Modaks’ (droplet shaped Indian sweet).
Few related mythical stories:
Ganesha was created by Parvati out of sandalwood dough that she used for her bath and breathed life into him. Eventually, Shiva chops off the unknown boy’s head thinking him to be a stranger and apparently fixes an elephant’s head on him.
Ganesha wins the race with his brother Karthikeya, seated on a rat and completes the race as he did not want to disappoint his father even after knowing that the test was a complicated one. Thereafter, he acquired the title Ganaadhipati or leader, also known as Ganpati.
Ganesha has a singular tusk as he loses his tusk by hurling it at the mocking moon. The moon mocks at Ganesha because his mouse trips after seeing a snake, which makes his belly unstable. The mythology behind the mouse and the snake and Ganesha’s big belly, and its relationship to the moon on his birthday is highly mythical. The whole universe is referred to be the belly of Ganesha. Parvati is the primitive energy. The seven realms above, seven realms below and the seven oceans are inside the cosmic belly of Ganesha, held together by the cosmic energy (kundalini) symbolised as a huge snake which Ganesha ties around Him. The mouse is our ego and it exemplifies the need to control our ego. Hence, a person who has controlled his ego has Ganesha consciousness or God-consciousness.
Ways to celebrate it in your apartment:
Organise a public event in your apartment:
One of the best ways to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi is to organise an event within the apartment and invite everyone. The entire society can pitch in money or just the association can fund the event. Get invitation cards printed mentioning date, time and venue.
Choose a place for the statue installation:
As per tradition, installation of the Ganesha statue is the main event while celebrating the festival. Choose a convenient place within the apartment complex with the association member’s consent. Lighting arrangements along with hoards of flowers and mirrors should be made.
Organising prayers:
The festival is celebrated for many days, and on each day there should be prayers organised at a particular time. Elect the association members for each day and instruct them on how they can initiate the prayers and rituals.
Arrange a feast for the society:
The association can arrange a feast for the society members as well as for the poor. This festival will give an opportunity to feed the poor and share happiness among the less fortunate. Also distribute ‘Prasad’ to everyone.
Organise sermons and plays:
Many of us will not be aware about the wide-ranging mythological tales related to Ganesha. People can organise sermons at a specific time and invite all the members in the apartment/society to attend the same. Apart from just the sermons, the festival can also be celebrated by organising plays with the focus being on Ganesha. The acts and sermons can be carried out after prayers, each day.
Go eco-friendly:
One of the best ways to celebrate the festival without causing any harm to the environment is to go eco-friendly. One can do this by buying an eco-friendly Ganesha idol. One should also ensure that they save energy by turning on fewer lights and using natural colours, eco-friendly decorations, avoiding the usage of plastic materials, limiting the number of public pandals, having awareness on Green Ganesh or eco-friendly Ganesh, making a compost pit for organic materials and practising the reduce, reuse and recycle concept.
Gift exchange:
Celebrate the festival by exchanging gifts to each other. Apart from just gifting each other, one can also celebrate this festival by sending Ganesh Chaturthi cards and text messages.
Avoid racket and chaos in the society:
It so happens that on the eve of every Ganesh Chaturthi, people play loud songs and drums for a long time. Doing this may disturb and annoy senior citizens within the apartment. Hence, you can celebrate the festival without creating too much of noise and chaos. Also ensure that you do not use too many chemicals to smear the idol. Make use of eco-friendly products like natural colours which have no toxic chemicals in them.
Idol arrangement and safety:
Since the idol will be draped with innumerable accessories and fabrics, few people should be appointed to safeguard it.
Idol disposal:
Once the festival comes to an end, the idol should be immersed in water. Many people do this in lakes and rivers which eventually pollute the water. Avoid disposing the idols in such places; instead, dispose the idol in a neighbourhood well which is unlikely to be used in future. In case there are no wells, you can dispose the idol in a large drum filled with water.
