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Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations begin
New
Delhi/Mumbai: The week-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival,
that marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha, began with
merriment today in different parts of the country.
President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari
and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh greeted the nation
on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. In her message,
Patil said, "Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival, which
brings people together in an atmosphere of happiness.
During the period of the festival this year, the people
can be more aware about the environment, by celebrating
it in an environment friendly way." In his separate
message, Ansari said Ganesh Chaturthi marks the birth
of Lord Ganesha who is the embodiment of wisdom, prosperity
and good fortune. The Prime Minister said, "Ganesh
Chaturthi is a festival, which brings people together,
reaffirms the secular traditions of India and celebrates
the spirit of brotherhood." During the festival, Ganesha
idols are worshipped at hundreds of 'pandals' or makeshift
tents before they are immersed in water bodies. Considering
the recent terror attacks in the country, security
has been beefed up in Mumbai. CCTV's have been installed
at the pandals apart from routine fire extinguishing
devices and other safety measures. Policemen have
been deployed to guard the pandals. They have also
been stationed around the city at crowded places to
keep a check on any untoward incident. Ganesh Chaturthi
for years was a personal and private affair. But at
the turn of the century, freedom fighter Lokmanya
Bal Gangadhar Tilak started using it as a platform
for political propaganda against British colonial
rule. The festival is hugely popular in Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Legend has it that Hindu Goddess Parvati had created
Ganesh from a perfumed putty-like substance, used
to remove dirt from her body in an ancient self-cleansing
ritual, the equivalent of a modern bath. Parvati's
husband Lord Shiva, one of the three most powerful
Gods in the Hindu pantheon, flew into rage and beheaded
the young lad and barred his entry into Kailash, Shiva's
snow-clad mountain abode. When he later realised that
the boy was created by his wife Parvati during his
absence, Shiva brought him back to life by slaying
an elephant and giving him the animal's head. Thus
was created Ganesh, one of the best-loved of Indian
gods.
-Sept 3,
2008
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