Ganesha,
the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati is widely worshipped
as the munificent god of wisdom. Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival
in his honour and is celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Started by Chhattrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha ruler, to dissemniate
culture and nationalism, the festival was given a new impetus by
Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak to spread the message of freedom struggle
and to defy the British who had banned public assemblies.
Ganesha
is the ever-present deity of India. On wedding invitations, at
street come shrines, in carved doorway and in every temple, he
is represented in many carvings sculptures and paintings.
On
the fourth day of the bright half of Bhadrapad, the festival of
Ganesh Chaturthi comes to India. Months ahead, with great excitement
ana enthusiasm, hundreds ofusands of clay idols of Ganesha are
made in Bombay, Pune and Pen, a village full of clay sculptors,
near Bombay. Lorryloads of idols of every size, in every pose
and colour, are brought to Bombay and other towns. These are worshipped
at community or family festivals which last between one to ten
days according to each group's tradition.
|
