Ganesh Chathurthi, is one of the importation celebration among Hindus all over the world. Since, Nepal is also has majority of population that are Hindus, Ganesh Chathurthi is celebrated with a lot of happiness and excitement.
In the Hindu religion, there are thousands of gods and goddesses. Each of the gods and goddesses represent different aspects of our life. Goddess Laxmi represents money and wealth, Lord Vishnu represents protector, Lord Shiva represents destructor and so forth. Similarly, Lord Ganesh is a sign of wealth, science, knowledge, wisdom and prosperity.
Hindus always seek blessings for Lord Ganesh. This day marks the birthday of the elephant-head deity. Regardless of the celebration, in Hindu rituals and worship, Lord Ganesh is always worshipping in the beginning and without doing this, the ritual is not completed. He has 108 different names. Worshippers usually visit Ashok Binayak and Chandra Binayak in Kathmandu, Surya Binayak and Kamal Binayak in Bhaktapur.
When is Ganesh Chathurthi celebrated?
The festival is celebrated every year on the fourth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Bhadra (Bhadra Shukla Chaturthi) according to the lunar calendar. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Ananta Chaturdashi, and is traditionally celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha.
Why is Ganesh Chathurthi celebrated?
There is a curiously interesting tale about the birth of Ganesha. It is believed that once while Parvati was bathing, she created a human figure from some unguent and balm, gave him life and asked him to guard the door while she bathed. After a long period of meditation on Mountain Kailash (Lord Shiva’s abode), Shiva chose that very moment to drop by to see his better half, but was abruptly stopped by the man-god Parvati who had posted at the door.
Outraged by the cheek of this stranger, Shiva cut off his head only to discover moments later that he had killed Parvati’s son! For fear of enraging his wife, Shiva immediately dispatched his ganas (attendants) to get him the head of the first living creature they could find. Well, the first living creature happened to be an elephant. As instructed, the head was chopped off and brought back to Shiva, who placed it on Parvati’s son’s body, bringing him back to life.Therefore, an association between Ganesh and chaturthi has been established on the chaturthi day and named as Ganesh Chaturthi.
How is Ganesh Chathurthi Celebrated?
Usually, Gahesh Chathurthi is celebrated by offering Lord Ganesh his favorite food. One of Lord Ganesha’s favourite sweets is undoubtedly the humble modak — a creamy delicious sweet dumpling made using rice flour, jaggery and other delicacies. Furthermore, worshippers also fast during this day and offer Lord Ganesh, Garland, new clothing for idol, incense, candles and flowers.
It is believed that Lord Ganesh is revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and science and represents intellect and wisdom. He is also honored and worshipped at the beginning for the ritual. Hindus worship Ganesh praying and wishing for peaceful and happy life. It is believed that Lord Ganesh was born on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Magh.
In the Different Communities:
The Newar community celebrates the day as Chatha Parva while Tharu community observes as Chauthi Chan.
To learn more about the festivities, culture of Nepal visit our websites. We offer customized packages for your travels to Nepal. Contact Us and for the package find out more about the offers and deals for your next trip.
Image source
If you want to learn more about other festivities here are some popular ones: