๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ? Though the festival is the same and has similar connotations across India, each region has slight variations in rituals and traditions. The celebrations last between 7 and 10 days at different places. A few common observances are: 1. ๐๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ: A statue of the Elephant God is installed on a pedestal either at home or in a public place with a pranprathishtha puja. ๐ฎ. ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ผ๐ป: On the first night of the festival, people avoid looking at the moon because it is considered a bad omen. ๐ฏ.๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐: Washing of the statue; puja with the chanting of shlokas and offerings of flowers and sweets; and aarti, i.e. circumlocution of the idol with a plate filled with a lit earthern/metal lamp, kumkum and flowers, is done. Prayer meetings are also conducted at Ganapati temples and public installations every day in the evenings and in some places, in the mornings as well. ๐ฐ.๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐: Some public installations of Lord Ganesh might also have performances with dance, music, and skits. ๐ฑ. ๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ธ: Modak is believed to be Ganapatiโs favourite sweet. So, these dumplings are made and distributed as prasad during the festival. Other food items such as laddoo, barfi, pedha, and sundal are also distributed during this time. ๐ฒ. ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ท๐ฎ๐ป: This is the immersion of the idol in a water body and is conducted on the last day โ anywhere between the seventh and eleventh days โ of the festival. It is accompanied by a procession of people chanting bhajans and shlokas and songs, with the idol. People seek forgiveness for the mistakes they have done so far and request the god to help them stay on the righteous path. Ganesha is thanked for visiting the home/locality, for being removing obstacles from peopleโs path, and for the auspiciousness he bestows.
