Ganesh Chaturthi 2021: Here’s why the festival is celebrated for 10 days

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that marks the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha. This year it will be celebrated on September 10. The celebrations of this festival will go on till September 21. Lord Ganesha is considered to be the God of beginnings. He is also known as Vinayaka, Ganapati, Ganpati Bappa, Vighnharta, Vighnakarta and many more.

According to the Hindu Panchang, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on Chaturthi Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated for 10 days. Know the reason why this festival the celebrations go on for 10 days below.

The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi assumed a public observance when Maratha ruler Shivaji used it to rouse nationalist sentiments among his subjects who were fighting the Mughals. This tradition of Ganesh Chaturthi was revived in the year 1893, by Lokmanya Tilak.

During British rule, the youth got influenced by western ideas and lifestyles. It was during this time that Lokmanya Tilak thought of Ganesha Chaturthi’s celebrations. Since it has to do with Hinduism rituals and worship, the Britishers will not be able to intervene. In 1893, he started a public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in Pune to create a common and collective Indian identity and to bring everyone together, as part of the struggle for independence.

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.

Soon, people all over Maharastra began celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi. It was from this state, that gradually the concept of celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi spread in other states. People now celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi by bringing an idol of Lord Ganesha into their homes and worshipping God.

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