Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, or Vinayaka Chaviti is a Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of Lord Ganesh to earth from Kailash Parbat with his mother Goddess Parvati/Gauri.

People worship Lord Ganesha in their homes, temples and pandals. Puja and offering prayers to deities are considered auspicious and are an important part of any Hindu festival. In order to please Bappa and make him visit your home year on year devotees perform special Ganesh Chaturthi puja.

History Behind Ganesh Festival

Goddess Parvati was the creator of Ganapati. She, in the absence of Lord Shiva, used her sandalwood paste to create Ganesha and put him to guard while she had gone for bathing. While she was gone, Lord Shiva got into a fight with Ganesha as he did not allow him to enter, as per his mother's orders.

How did Ganesha get his Elephant Head

Parvati then asked Lord Shiva to go down the Himalayas (their abode), cut off the head of the first animal he sees and splice it onto the headless body of Ganesha. The first animal Lord Shiva found was an elephant and that is how Lord Ganesha came to have the elephant's head and thus, infinite wisdom.