Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Ganesha. It falls in the months of August or September of the Gregorian calendar.
In Sanskrit, Gaja means elephant, and aanana, head. Why is Ganesha referred to as Gajanana? One day, goddess Parvati was preparing for her bath and didn’t want to be disturbed.
As Nandi was not at Mount Kailash to guard her door, Parvati, fashioned a boy from turmeric paste, breathed life into him and instructed him to not let anyone in until she finished her bath. Soon after, Shiva came to meet Parvati but found himself being stopped by a strange boy. He tried to reason with the boy saying that he was Parvati’s husband, but the boy was determined to not let Shiva enter until his mother Parvati finished her bath. Shiva flew into a rage and severed the boy’s head with his trishul or trident.
An enraged Parvati swore to annihilate the world. Lord Brahma, the creator, was alarmed and begged her to reconsider.
Parvati said she would arrive at a truce only if the boy was restored to life and forever be worshipped before all the other gods.
Shiva agreed and sent his ganas with orders to bring back the head of the first creature they saw. They soon returned with the head of a powerful elephant, which Lord Brahma placed on the boy’s body.
Breathing new life into him, he was declared as Gajanana and accorded the status of being foremost among the gods.