Ganesh Chaturthi 2019: All about the festival of Lord Ganesha

New Delhi, Aug 27: Ganesh Chaturthi 2019 is almost here. In this article we explain the importance about the festival.

Before that one must know the puja timings for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2019: Date and Puja Timings For

• Ganesh Chaturthi begins on Monday, September 2, 2019
• Madhyahna Ganesha Puja Muhurat: 11.05 AM to 01.36PM
• Ganesha Visarjan falls on Thursday, September 12, 2019
• Chaturthi Tithi Begins: 04.57 AM on September 02, 2019
• Chaturthi Tithi Ends: 01:54 AM on September 03, 2019

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha. The festival is celebrated with great fervour and pomp mainly in states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh along with many other parts of India.

Ganesh Chaturthi is the day Lord Ganesh is worshipped for wisdom, prosperity, good fortune and wellbeing.

On Ganesh Chaturthi day people get Ganesha's idols and install them at home. These days along with ornate idols simple eco-friendly Ganesha idols too are available.

For next few days people do pujas, aarti's and special feast everyday is made for Lord Ganesh. The festivity of Ganesh Chaturthi and Lord Ganesha's festival ends on the 10th day that is Anant Chaturdashi. This is day when Lord Ganesha's idol it taken out in a procession and immersed in the water also known in many parts as Ganesh Visarjan.
Importance of Ganesh Chaturthi

It is believed that Lord Ganesha was on Shukhla Paksha of Bhadrapad month of the Hindu Calendar.

Ganesh is the lord of arts, sciences and is considered as god of wisdom, he is known by 108 names.

There are many legends related to Lord Ganesha's birth. According to one version Goddess Parvati created Lord Ganesha out of dirt off her body while having a bath and set him to guard her door while she was finishing her bath. Lord Shiva had gone out and upon his return Ganesha who did not know him denied him entry. An angry Shiva severed the head of Ganesha in a fight between the two.

Parvati was enraged and Lord Shiva promised Ganesha will be alive again. The gods went in search and brought back elephants head which Shiva fixed on the child's head and brought him back to life.

The other legend has it that Ganesha was created by Shiva and Parvati on request of the Devas to be a vighankarta(obstacle-creator) in the path of Rakshasas (demons) and as a Vighnahartaa(obstacle-averted) to help the Devas.

On the Ganesh Chaturthi day and during the festival Lord Ganesha's offered different types of Prasad after the Aarti or prayers. His favourites being Modak, Ladoos, Kheer and many other sweets.