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Eco-Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi Festival In India

September 06, 2021 , , ,

Welcome to the world of Ganesh Chaturthi, a joyous Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity. However, in recent years, the traditional festivities have been met with growing concerns about their environmental impact.

With the rapid increase in pollution levels caused by the immersion of non-biodegradable idols into rivers and lakes, a new wave of eco-friendly celebrations has emerged across India.

Today, we dive into the marvelous phenomenon of the Eco-Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi Festival, exploring its origins, significance, and the inspiring initiatives taken to preserve both our beloved Ganapati and the delicate ecosystem around us.

Join us on this enlightening journey where ancient traditions intertwine harmoniously with modern sustainability efforts.

Eco-Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi
Happy Ganesh Chaturthi

 

📖 Topic Of Contents:

  1. Introduction
  2. Birth story of Lord Ganesha
  3. How did Ganesha get his name?
  4. Who started Ganesh Chaturthi and why?
  5. Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra
  6. How to Celebrate Eco-Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi?
  7. Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi
  8. How to do Ganesh Chaturthi pooja at home?
  9. Final Thoughts
  10. FAQs

 

Birth story of Lord Ganesha

Once when goddess Parvati was taking a bath along with her friends in her palace then Lord Shiva arrived inside her palace without any notice, goddess Parvati became very angry with Lord Shiva. Goddess Parvati decided to create a child of her own to guard the entrance of her palace. She scrapped some dirt from her body and shaped it into a beautiful boy instructing him not to allow anyone inside the palace without her permission.

Once, Lord Shiva tried to enter the palace, Ganesha did not know he was his father. Likewise, even Lord Shiva did not know about Ganesha. When Lord Shiva tried to enter, Ganesha stopped him. Lord, Shiva was enraged beyond control and they broke into a fight and in a fit of rage. He slashed the head of the child with his Trishul. The sounds of the fight reached Parvati's ears. She came to the door and her eyes fell on the boy's still form. She was very angry at Lord Shiva for what had happened.

Lord Shiva wanted to make it up to Parvati and decided to put life back into the child by putting the head of the first sleeping creature that came inside lying with its head to the north. He sent his Ganas to go in search of the creature.

The Ganas who went in search of the creature found an elephant sleeping in the northern direction and brought its head to mount Kailash. Lord Shiva recreated his son with the head of the elephant and blessed the child.

 

How did Ganesha get his name?

You just read the word Ganas in the above paragraph. Then may you have to arise a question in your mind that who is Ganas? And why they are known as Ganas? The answer is devotees of Lord Shiva, who are always with him and their work is to do Pooja or Bhakti of Lord Shiva and devoted themselves to a Lord. This group of the Bhakt or Devotees is called Ganas.

After recreate or giving life again to his son, Lord Shiva named him "Ganesha" or "Ganapati" which means the leader of the Ganas. In India, he is also known as the remover of all obstacles and will be worshiped first at the start of all ceremonies. Ganesha is the God of wisdom with his elephant's head.

 

Read Also: 10 Clear signs that lord shiva is with you

 

Who started Ganesh Chaturthi and why?

When Lord Ganesha alive again then there was a time of Chaturthi, which is an Indian Vedic Time. You can find more information about it from the Hindu Calendar. From that day, his birth festival is celebrating in India as Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ganesha is the most loved of all gods and has been worshipped throughout history. No one knows when the festival started. Chhatrapati Shivaji was the first to make Ganesh Chaturthi a public and social event.

When the British had captured India they stopped the festival. People stopped celebrating in public and kept Ganesha idols in their homes to celebrate the festival. There was also a big inequality between Brahmins and Non-Brahmins There were many problems in India and everyone was suffering.

In 1892, freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak saw the division among people and wanted to unite people. He wanted the people to be united and loving like before. During British rule, the festival brought the entire country together. Till now the festival is celebrated in India with the same spirit.

 

Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is the state known for grand-scale Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations and people's creativity is superb. They enjoy this festival. Each locality places a Ganesha idol in their Pandal. This is done by all the localities.

Days before homes are cleaned, decorated, and colorful shrines are set up where Ganesha is placed. People use flowers and their creativity to beautify the place. Some of the statues are up to 20-30 feet or more high. There are beautiful lighting and decoration. People gather in a large crowd to enjoy and have fun. People organize events such as dance, singing, and Aarti competitions so that people can bond together.

Ganesha's favorite is sweet Modak. To celebrate the festival, people make large quantities of Modaks. This is how people bond and celebrate the joyous Ganesh Chaturthi Festival. Some people may immerse him after one and a half-day, three days, five, seven, or ten days. When Ganesha is placed in the water for his farewell immersion it is called 'Ganpati Visarjan.'

Ganpati Visarjan's tenth day is very important. People sing, dance, and gather in large numbers for his Visarjan. In Mumbai alone, more than one lakh idols are immersed annually. While singing and dancing, people chant phrases. They ask him to quickly come again next year by saying "Pudhyachi Varshi Lavkar Ya".

 

Read Also: Why lord hanuman is orange in colour?

 

How to Celebrate Eco-Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi?

This festival is celebrated and enjoyed every year but there are many environmental problems because of it. The Ganesha idols are made up of Plaster of Paris, the flowers and plastic decorations are very bad for the environment. When the idols are immersed, the POP does not dissolve and remains in the water. It is bad for the environment and endangers the lives of the fish as well.

Since there is so much awareness regarding the pollution of the environment, people have found different ways to celebrate this festival. People create man-made water bodies in their localities and invite people to immerse the idols there on the 10th day. This saves the environment as there is less litter.

People have stopped using Plaster of Paris to make the idols and are using natural products. This shows that we can celebrate our love for Ganesha without harming the environment.

 

Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi

  • If you see in this whole creation all the atoms, all the substances, for them to behave the way they should, for all the Dravyas to act as per their qualities, their gunas or characters, to keep this balance, that governing energy is called Ganapati or Ganesha.
  • At the same time another symbolism which can be found is that it is said that Ganapati or Ganesha has the full knowledge, such Avast Buddhi, his intellect is so expanded, such expanded awareness. Head of an elephant to remind people that this energy, this Shakti, gives you that expanded awareness.
  • If you see the symbolism, another thing is in the elephant trunk. It says that that is the place where the Jnanedriyas and the Karmendriyas, the organs of action and perception, come together.
  • Because the trunk is both used to smell, to eat, as well as to grab and to touch. So it says the Ganapati tattva that energy of Ganesha is the shakti of action, kriya shakti, and the jnana shakti, that energy of perception, of wisdom, they move together, they are aligned. We act as per the knowledge, in the right manner.
  • And another thing is, it's beautiful to see if you see the statue of Ganesha, he has a noose, as well as a goad, that Ankusha or self Control. It says that Ganesha resides at the base of the spine, the Mooladhara, which is the seat of the Kundalini Shakti. And the goad is used to awaken that energy, and the noose is used to control it.
  • It is said that when that Kundalini energy awakens, it has to also be controlled, it has to move in the right direction, otherwise, it can be dangerous also, and it can create problems also. So, to awaken the energy and to guide it in the right direction, Ganesha is very important.
  • The most important thing about celebrating Ganesh Utsav is, all the people are celebrating this festival together. There have no caste, creeds differentiations while celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi Festival.

 

Read Also: Vishnu Sahasranamam - 1000 names of Lord Vishnu

 

How to do Ganesh Chaturthi pooja at home?

Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10 days long Hindu festival that is celebrated for Lord Ganesha's birthday. It is said that during the Ganapati festival for 10 days, the energy, the Ganesh Tattva or Ganapati Tattva is more present on the Earth; it is easier to experience that or to enliven that.

In Hindu Culture before starting any Pooja we invoke Lord Ganapati. That means we have to awaken Lord Ganesha's element in our soul, we have to move from negativity towards positivity. We make an idol of Ganapathi out of clay and appeal to him that the same life that exists within us. Which is the Lord himself should reside in the idol for a short time, so that we can play with Him.

We want to return all that benevolence he has showered on us. The Lord has given us water, fruits, flowers, food, clothes and we want to offer the same to Him. Due to his blessings, the sun and the moon shower their light on us every day, so we would like to do the same for Him by doing the 'Aarti' for Him.

In this manner, a devotee can express his devotion to the Lord. Just as jewelry is taken out of the vault to be used during special occasions, and then put back after the end of the ceremony. Similarly, after the Pooja, we request the Lord to return to our mind from where he came.

Ganesh Utsav is the process of bringing out this priceless wisdom that is hidden inside our minds. Use this wisdom to enjoy the bliss in your life.


Final Thoughts

The eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi Festival in India has become a significant step towards sustainable celebrations. With the shift towards clay idols, natural dyes, and immersion in artificial tanks, the detrimental impact on the environment has been significantly reduced.

This movement has not only created awareness among the masses but has also prompted individuals to take responsibility for their actions and find innovative, eco-friendly solutions. The growing popularity of eco-friendly celebrations is a testament to the potential of incorporating sustainable practices into cultural festivities.

As we continue to prioritize the protection of our environment, the eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi Festival serves as an inspiring example for other festivals and celebrations worldwide.

 

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FAQs On Eco-Friendly Ganesha Chaturthi

Are Ganesh Chaturthi idols eco-friendly?

It depends on the type of idol used. Traditional idols made of plaster of Paris are not eco-friendly as they do not biodegrade easily and can cause pollution when immersed in water bodies. However, eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi idols made of clay, natural fibers, or biodegradable materials are becoming more popular. These idols are designed to dissolve in water during the immersion process and do not harm the environment. Many people are opting for such eco-friendly idols to reduce the environmental impact of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

How can we promote eco-friendly Ganesha?

Encourage the use of clay or eco-friendly material for making Ganesha idols, Educate the public about the environmental impact of PoP idols and the benefits of using eco-friendly idols, Organize art competitions where participants can create eco-friendly Ganesha idols using recyclable or natural materials, Promote the concept of seed Ganesha, where the idol is made from a mixture of clay and seeds, Encourage the use of organic, biodegradable colors and natural decorations for adorning the Ganesha idols and pandals (temporary structures), Organize cleaning drives, both pre and post-immersion, to remove the idols and associated waste from water bodies, Utilize social media platforms to share information, tips, and success stories related to eco-friendly Ganesha celebrations.