Ganesh Chaturthi !

Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival. This Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated on birthday of lord Ganesh on the fourth day of moon’s bright fortnight mean period from new moon in the lunar month of Bhadrapada. Lord Ganesha is popularly known as the lord of wisdom and power. People make and decorate big idol of lord Ganesha and then they offer them pooja and prasada.At last people make big procession to nearest water source like river or sea. People enjoy this procession with dance, music and colours. Usually Ganesh Chaturthi continues for five to ten days and even some celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi for twelve days Last time when the procession reaches to the sea, people again offer pooja etc.While Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated all over India, Ganesh Chaturthi festivities are most elaborate in states like Maharashtra, Goa (It is the biggest festival for Konkani people all over the world), Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and other areas which were former states of the Maratha Empire. Outside India, it is celebrated in Nepal by the Newars. In the 21st century, with the world turning fast into a global village, Ganesh Chaturthi is now celebrated all over the world, wherever there is a presence of a Hindu community
Ganesh Chaturthi in Year 2009 is on Sunday 23rd August.
It is believed that Lord Ganesh was born on a fourth day (Chaturthi) of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Magh. Since then, an association between Ganesh and Chaturthi has been established. Thus the festival dedicated to the worship of Lord Ganesha on this Chaturthi day is named as Ganesh Chaturthi. Lord Ganesh is Son of Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati, as per belief of Hindus whenever somebody start any new or auspicious work it is good for prosperity and success to have blessings of Lord Ganesha’s as he is God of Prosperity.
• There is a curiously interesting tale about the birth of Ganesha. It is believed that once while Parvati was bathing, she created a human figure from some unguent and balm, gave him life and asked him to guard the door while she bathed. After a long period of meditation on Mountain Kailash (Lord Shiva’s abode), Shiva chose that very moment to drop by to see his better half, but was abruptly stopped by the man-god Parvati had posted at the door. Outraged by the cheek of this stranger, Shiva cut off his head only to discover moments later that he had killed Parvati’s son! For fear of enraging his wife, Shiva immediately dispatched his ganas (attendants) to get him the head of the first living creature they could find. Well, the first living creature happened to be an elephant. As instructed, the head was chopped off and brought back to Shiva, who placed it on Parvati’s son’s body, bringing him back to life. This elephant-headed God was welcomed into the first family of the Hindu heavens and named Ganesha or Ganapati, which literally means the chief of the ganas, or the attendants of Shiva. Ganesha is the foremost God of the Hindu pantheon. This brave guardian of the door to Parvati’s bath is beheld today as the most auspicious God of new beginnings. He is worshipped during every festival and before people undertakes a journey or embarks upon a new venture. You will also see him carefully guarding entrances to temples and homes, peeping out of calendars and happily gracing marriages and other such occasions.
• One more legend found relating to Lord Ganesha which is based on to his wisdom that is once God think to have leader of Gods and it was decided to have a race in which participants has to circle the earth three times and on race day Kartikey on his Vahnaa that is Peacock and Ganesh on rat start race but considering the race tough Ganesh circle three times of his parents and said my parents pervade the globe and moving around them mean moving around earth, everybody convince his logic and accept him as their leader.
It is still treated not good to look at the moon on that day as the moon had laughed at Ganesha when he fell from rat. With the immersion of the idol amidst the chanting of "Ganesh Maharajah Ki Jai!" (Hail Lord Ganesh). The festival ends with pleas to Ganesha to return the next year with chants of
"Ganapati bappa morya, pudcha varshi laukar ya" (Hail Lord Ganesh, return again soon next year)
We hope that with the blessings of Lord Ganesha on to his devotees will bring prosperity, happiness and health, which will make their beliefs strong on to God’s action .