Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: Here¡¯s Why Ganeshotsav Is Celebrated For 10 Days

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chavithi is a ten-day Hindu festival celebrated to honour lord Ganesha's birthday. This year it will be celebrated on August 31. The celebrations of the Ganeshotsav festival will go on till September 9.

Lord Ganesh is known by 108 different names and is the God of arts and sciences and the deva of wisdom. He is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies as he's considered the God of beginnings. He's widely and dearly referred to as Vinayaka, Ganapati, Ganpati Bappa, Vighnaharta and many more names.

Why Ganesh Chaturthi Is Celebrated For 10 Days | AFP

The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesh clay idols privately in homes or publicly in elaborate pandals, especially in Maharashtra. With great devotion, the festival celebrations go on for ten days. Here's all you need to know about why Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated for 10 days.

First celebrated at the time of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Why Ganesh Chaturthi Is Celebrated For 10 Days | BCCL

According to legend, the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi was first held at the time of the Maratha ruler, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, so as to fight against the Mughals and encourage sentiments of nationalism. This tradition of Ganesh Chaturthi was revived in the year 1893, by Bal Gangadhar Tilak to unite people against the Britishers.

Why Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated for 10 days

Bal Gangadhar Tilak changed the idea of celebrating the festival from a private one to a grand one, so he held a public meeting in Pune wherein he decided that from Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi till Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi (Anant Chaturdashi), Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated to awaken a feeling of togetherness amongst Indians and to help get freedom from British rule.

Why Ganesh Chaturthi Is Celebrated For 10 Days | AFP

After that, Ganeshotsav was celebrated all across the country, but it's especially popular in Maharashtra.

From Maharashtra, the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi was gradually spread across the country. The famous Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh idol is the pride of Mumbai's Lalbaug during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

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