Countdown to Ganesh Chaturthi begins: Here's what you need to know about the auspicious festival

Ever heard of Ganesha Trails? These are well-planned guided trips organised in the cities of Mumbai and Pune (and some other cities), where visitors get to say a little prayer at the local pandals or stalls where a beautifully hand-crafted Ganesha Idol is installed. This idol is worshipped with much fanfare spread across 10 days. People from around the city come to see the beautiful work of the artisan, partake in the song and dance and enjoy a little feast too. The procession that welcomes the Elephant God (idol) right till its immersion day depicts communal harmony and festive fervour.

God of wisdom and luck
It is said that Lord Ganesha brings wisdom and good luck. The elephant head epitomises all things related to wisdom. His small eyes, large ears tend to miss nothing. His nose can smell all aromas and his vehicle of a mouse reflects how much importance a wise man gives to the smallest of the life forms. Ganesh (or Ganapati) is revered across India as Vighnaharta, the one who removes obstacles.


The date of Ganesh Chaturthi is followed as per moon’s positions. The festival lasts for about ten days ending on Anant Chaturdashi.

The festival is celebrated throughout Maharashtra in almost every household at an individual level, as well as together, at the community level. It begins with the installation of an idol of Lord Ganesh. In the days that follow, the idol is worshipped daily by family members along with their relatives, friends and neighbours who come to have darshan of the Lord. According to the historian VK Rajwade, the earliest Ganesh Festival celebrations can be traced back to the reign of the Satavahana, Rashtrakuta and Chalukya dynasties. Centuries later, Lord Ganapati was the family deity of the Peshwas. Historical records show that citizens of all religions, castes and communities in Pune attended a great five day festival, recognised as a great cultural meet across India.

Nanasaheb Peshwe gave grandeur to this festival and made it a public celebration. In 1893, Indian freedom fighter and social reformist, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, transformed this annual domestic festival in Maharashtra into a large public event. Tilak amplified this festival to generate a nationalistic fervour among people in Maharashtra against the British colonial rule. He also encouraged the installation of large images of Ganesh in public pavilions and established the practice of immersing, via processions, those idols in rivers, the sea or other pools of water on the tenth day of the festival (on Anant Chaturdashi), a tradition that continues unbroken till date.