Vice President greets people on Ganesh Chaturthi

New Delhi, Sept. 2 : Vice President Hamid Ansari today greeted the people on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, which will be celebrated tomorrow.

In his message, Ansari said, "Ganesh Chaturthi marks the birth of Lord Ganesha who is the embodiment of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. The blessings of Lord Ganesha are solicited for the success of any auspicious work and for spiritual and material success."

"The festivities and sharing associated with the festival reminds us of the significance of imbibing the sublime values in our lives to usher in a humane society. May the noble ideals of the festival prevail to establish lasting peace, prosperity and happiness in the society," the Vice President added.

The festival is hugely popular in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Legend has it that Hindu Goddess Parvati had created Ganesh from a perfumed putty-like substance, used to remove dirt from her body in an ancient self-cleansing ritual, the equivalent of a modern bath.

Parvati's husband Lord Shiva, one of the three most powerful Gods in the Hindu pantheon, flew into rage and beheaded the young lad and barred his entry into Kailash, Shiva's snow-clad mountain abode.

When he later realised that the boy was created by his wife Parvati during his absence, Shiva brought him back to life by slaying an elephant and giving him the animal's head. Thus was created Ganesh, one of the best-loved of Indian gods.

ANI