|
|
| HOLI (10th March - 9th March) |
Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati is commonly worshipped as the
kind god of wisdom. Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that reveres Lord Ganesha and is
celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Started by Chhattrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha ruler, to propagate culture and nationalism,
the festival was given an impetus by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The idea was to spread
the message of freedom struggle and confront the British who had banned public assemblies.
The festival passed on a sense of unity to Indians and revived their patriotic spirit.
Mumbai is the spotlight of Ganesha Chaturthi. Preparations begin much in advance- images
of Ganesha are set up, imaginative arrangements are made for decoration and Ganesha is
ardently honored for about 7-10 days. On the day of the Chaturthi, the last of the days
dedicated to the elephant-headed god, processions congregate on the beaches of Mumbai to
immerse the holy idols in the sea. This immersion is accompanied by drumbeats, devotional
songs and dancing..
Every year, the largest Ganesh idol is installed at Khairatabad in Hyderabad,
which is more than 30 ft tall.
|
|
|
