There are so many days associated to worship Lord Ganesha. Every Tuesday, every 4th day of the bright fortnight as well as every 4th day of the dark fortnight are associated with Lord Ganesha & devotees worship him to remove obstacles from their lives. But, Vinayak Chaturthi (विनायक चतुर्थी) of the Magha month is the most important day for the devotees of Lord Ganesha. Vinayaka Chaturthi (विनायक चतुर्थी) of the Magha month is celebrated as the birth day of Lord Ganesha. Across India this festival is known by many different names like; Maghi Ganpati, Magha Shukla Chaturthi, Tilkund Chaturthi, Varad Chaturthi, Vinayaka Jayanti & Ganesha Jayanti.
This festival is primarily celebrated by many Hindus across the India & especially in the Maharashtra region of India as well as in Goa. Maghi Ganpati is celebrated on the fourth day of the bright fortnight in the Magha month (माघः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी) in the Hindu calendar which generally falls in January/February according to the Gregorian calendar.
Significance of Vinayaka Chaturthi (विनायक चतुर्थी) –
Every pious & auspicious occasion begins with a prayer of Lord Ganesha & no new venture; be it a new company, a new house, a new shop is inaugurated without worshipping Lord Ganesha since he is the first worshipped God (प्रथम-पूज्य). Lord Ganesha is one of the best-known & most worshipped God. He is also known by the names like Ganapati, Lambodara, Ekadanta, Gajanana, Vinayaka & many more. The meaning of the name Ganesha means the God of the Ganas (a troop of demi-gods) & Ganapati means the king of the Ganas (a troop of demi-gods).
He is the elephant headed, having four hands; where in one hand he is holding a weapon elephant goad also known as bullhook (अंकुशः), in another hand he is holding a weapon axe (पर्शुः), in third hand he is holding a plate full of ladoos & the last hand i.e., the below right hand is in a posture of imparting blessings/ boons (वरदहस्तः). He has a rat as his means of transport (वाहनम्). He is the remover of the obstacles & brings good luck in one’s life. Lord Ganesha is the younger son of Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati.
Vinayaka Chaturthi (विनायक चतुर्थी)/ Vinayaka Jayanti (विनायक जयंती) differs from the most popularly celebrated festival of Ganesha Chaturthi (गणेश चतुर्थी) which is celebrated across India in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August/September). Many Hindus celebrate the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश चतुर्थी) as the birth day of Lord Ganesh which is not true. According to the Scriptures Lord Ganesha was born on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of the Magha month (माघः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी) & not on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of the Bhadrapada month (भाद्रपदः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी). There is the huge difference between both the days & are celebrated for different reasons with different rituals. Our main purpose to provide this article is to make people understand & explain that the Ganesha Chaturthi (गणेश चतुर्थी) festival is not the birth day celebration of Lord Ganesha. We will definitely come with the article on Ganesha Chaturthi too.
Historical account of Lord Vinayaka’s birth (विनायक जयंती) –
According to the Shiva Purana, after Lord Kartikeya (elder son of Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati) killed the demon named Tarakasura, Lord Shiva declared his elder son Lord Kartikeya, as the commander of the Gods (देवस्य सेनापतिः) & told him to stay in southern part of India & kill the demons who are destructing things & harassing people. Later, Goddess Parvati felt lonely when Lord Kartikeya left mount Kailasa & Lord Shiva also left Mount Kailasa & got engaged in meditating. After few years Goddess Parvati was taking a bath by applying turmeric paste on her body & she thought of making a boy out of it. So, she scraped out turmeric paste from her body & made a form of a five-year-old boy. She then gave him a life & named him Vinayaka & told him not to leave Mount Kailasa & not to leave her mother alone, to this Vinayaka agrees. Lord Shiva was unknown about the birth of his son Vinayaka as he was engrossed in meditation.
A Few years passed & once when Goddess Parvati was about to have a bath, she told Vinayaka to guard the bathing room gate & do not let anyone enter the room until she finishes having a bath, to this Lord Vinayaka agrees & guards the gate. After few minutes Lord Shiva arrives Mount Kailasa & wanted to meet Goddess Parvati, so he went towards the bathing room where Vinayaka was guarding the gate. Lord Shiva was not aware that Vinayaka is his own son & he told Vinayaka to let him enter the room, but Lord Vinayaka did not let him enter the room. Lord Shiva got furious, later he took his trident & slashed Vinayaka’s head off the body. Hearing Vinayaka’s voice, Lord Parvati came out & lamented, after which Lord Shiva told the gods & demi-gods to go & search for a head & bring the first head they find that too with the permission of that creature.
Later, they found an elephant & explaining the whole incident to an elephant he agreed with happiness to give his head to the son of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva placed the head of an elephant & brought him back to life. After that, all the Gods & Goddesses blessed him with the different powers, attribution & also different names like; he will be first worshipped God, he will be the God of removing obstacles, he will be the most intelligent God, he will be known as Ganesha, Gajanana, Lambodara & so on.
As Lord Ganesha was born on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of the Magha month (माघः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी), this day is known as Vinayaka Chaturthi; Vinayaka which is his first name & also known as Vinayaka Jayanti or Ganesha Jayanati which means the birth day of Lord Vinayaka.
Ritual ceremony of Vinayaka Chaturthi (विनायक चतुर्थी) –
On the festival of Vinayaka Chaturthi (विनायक चतुर्थी), an image or idol of Ganesha is worshipped. Devotees visit temples of Lord Ganesha. A special sweet made of sesame seeds is offered to Lord Ganesha & then distributed to the devotees as prashad for eating. A half day fast is observed while worshipping followed by feasting in the night as a part of the rituals. In addition to fasting on this day, before observing the puja rituals of Lord Ganesha, devotees take bath with water mixed with sesame seeds after smearing a paste made out of sesame seeds on their body. The fast observed on this day is done to enhance the name & fame of the individual. On the occasion of the Ganesh Jayanti celebrations, couples worship him to beget a son.
Devotees also keep Ganesha Yaag (गणेश यागः) (Sacrificial Rites) at their home or at the temple to invoke & please Lord Ganesha on his birth day. Devotees also chant Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda, Vedic stotra- Ganapati Atharva Shirsha, Ganesha Stotra from the Narada Purana & other Stotras & also 108 names of Lord Ganesha are chanted during the worship of Lord Ganesha by offering 108 ladoos to Lord Ganesha on this auspicious occasion to invoke his blessings & to remove obstacles.
Thus, Vinayaka Chaturthi (विनायक चतुर्थी)/ Vinayaka Jayanti (विनायक जयंती) is the celebration of Lord Ganesha’s Birth day. I hope from this year onward we will celebrate Lord Ganesha’s Birth day on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of the Magha month (माघः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी) & not on the Ganesha Chaturthi [i.e., 4th day of the bright fortnight of the Bhadrapada month (भाद्रपदः शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थी)]. This year Vinayaka Chaturthi/ Jayanti (विनायक चतुर्थी) will be celebrated on the 4th of February 2022 according to the Georgian calendar.
कार्तिकः कृष्णपक्षे ०३, २०७८