Ganesh Chaturthi Festival 2019 India. An Essential Guide

Ganesh Chaturthi is a spectacular festival dedicated to Lord Ganesha and is widely celebrated all over the country but Mumbai is the best place to enjoy every single ritual of this festival in India. A Hindu festival, Ganesh Chaturthi is approaching and will the celebration will be on 2nd September and lasts till 12th September. During the festival, the entire city got alive and everyone takes an active part in this festival. The festival is celebrated during the month of Bhadrapada which usually comes in the mid of August to the mid of September. 

Why Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated?
The history explains the festival was initially celebrated around 14th or 15th century and steadily it becomes the most popular domestic festival in India. According to mythology, Goddess Parvati created Ganesh out of dirt and made him safeguard her palace and do not allow anyone to come inside. Lord Shiva returning home after many days, saw Ganesh guarding the palace and had no idea about who the child was. He demanded that he should be let into the palace but Ganesh refused. After a tough fight between the two, Lord Shiva beheaded Ganesh. When Parvati saw the headless boy, she became furious. Lord Shiva promised her to make Ganesh alive and asked his devas to search any soul which had its head facing the north. After a great search, everyone came up with an elephant head that later places on Ganesh body to bring him alive which is celebrated as Ganesh Chaturthi. 

How Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated?
On this festival, people bring the idol of Lord Ganesha made of clay. After completing rituals, the deity is placed either in their home or small pandal. Special rituals take place including celebrations music performances and other cultural activities are performed. Delicious delights are served to everyone who visits the pandals. On the 11th day, a large procession takes place in which people take place wherein people take the idol towards the sea or river and immerse the idol into the water. Later they return back to their home. 

Rituals of Ganesh Chaturthi festival – 

• Pranapratishhtha (the process of creating an idol)
• Shhodashopachara (paying tribute to the idol)
• Uttarpuja (the ritual before the deity is taken from the position and places for a procession towards any water body)
• Ganpati Visarjan (immerse the idol into sea or river)

Popular delicacies to savor in Ganesh Chaturthi festival –
This festival is all about rituals and delicious delights. If you are a foodie, then you ought to plan your India trip during this festival. Here are some of the best dishes to savor during this festival –

• Modak or Puranpoli – an all-time favorite flour pancake made with cardamom, jaggery, and chickpea dal
• Srikhand – a delicious sweet-sour delicacy made with yogurt, cardamom, saffron, chironji, etc. 
• Patholi – steamed rice rolls, filled with either sweetened coconut scrapping or yellow gram. 
• Rajgira Laddoo – small balls made with Rajgira grain.
• Gur Nariyal Wadi – a dessert made of coconut scrapings and jaggery.
• Sabudana Kheer – porridge made of pearl tapioca. 
• Thalipeeth – multigrain pancake, served with yogurt. 
• Samosa – deeply fried triangle pastry with fillings of potato, peas, and others. 

To become a part of this amazing religious festival plan your visit to India and cover the cities like Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, etc to get experience the grand rituals of this festival. India is at its prime beauty during September which offers great holidays in the country when you can also become a part of the festivals that held in September