Why do we celebrate Ganesha Chathurdhi?

I have been thinking since few years to open a blog of my own. At last I took that major step forward and started this blog. What else can be the best topic to start with that supports the theme of this blog ‘Live and Let Live’? Ganesha is widely worshiped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel.  Today I thought of pondering few points about the festival that celebrates Ganesha’s birth.

There are different stories about this festival and different ways of celebration depending on different regions in India.  I would like to focus on why we celebrate this festival and how it is environment friendly.

The festival, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi (“festival of Ganesha”) is observed in the Hindu Calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 19 August and 20 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period).

During these 10 days, there are traditions and rituals that people perform during the Ganesh Chaturthi Hindu festival. Traditionally, the idol of Ganesha  was sculpted out of mud/clay taken from nearby ponds and rivers. This is to take/dig out the mud from ponds there by preparing them to collect more rain water. Idol is decorated with fruits, vegetables and several herbs & leaves that we rarely use or come in contact with, during the year. All of these have medicinal values. By using them during festival celebration days contributes to maintain good health, prevent or cure some diseases.  Keeping the decorated idol at home helps to resist the insects/bacterial creatures that may arise during the start of the rainy season.  After the festival, the idol along with the herbs and all decoration was returned to the Earth by immersing it in a nearby water body. This helps to purify the fresh rain water collected in the ponds making them safe to use for drinking. Some idols are made with metals like copper, brass, bronze, silver and gold depending on the financial status of the family. These metals when immersed and left in water supplies additional minerals to the fresh rain water which again helps for healthier drinking and farming water. Also this cycle was meant to represent the cycle of creation and dissolution in Nature. The festival was designed to keep nature’s balance contributing to healthy living.

But, in today’s modern world, it is very sad that it has completely contrasting purpose.  Modern idols are made with plaster of paris, chemical paints and are left in the water bodies making the water polluted and not usable.  Very unhealthy dishes are made to eat in the name of festival.