An Ideal Ganesh Festival

How to please Lord Ganesh & invoke His Blessings

In ancient days, the rituals performed with spiritual emotion and the science behind them were the main part of the festival rather than external decoration. Unfortunately today, this aspect is overlooked while celebrating religious festivals. The idol should assimilate the Ganesh principle. A few years ago, in Kolhapur, Maharashta and Margao, Goa, the Ganesh idols worshipped in the public celebrations were in the form of Saints, Swami Samarth of Akkalkot and Shree Saibaba of Shirdi respectively. In Kalyan, Mumbai, Lord Ganesh's idol was created from medical appliances. The trunk was made from syringes, the ears from kidney trays, the crown from saline bottles, the hands from gloves and the eyes from capsules.

According to the Science of Spirituality, every deity represents a specific principle. According to the doctrine of Spirituality, sound, touch, form, taste, odour and energy co-exist. Thus, the form of the deity should be such that it is able to attract maximum frequencies of the deitythat is worshipped. If this doctrine is not followed while making the idol, the frequencies of the deity do not assimilate in the idol, and the worshipper is not benefited by its ritualistic worship. Today, it is noticed thatmost of the times Ganesh idols are sculpted without considering these facts. Worship of such idols is wrong. According to the science of idols, an idol of Ganapati should have one tooth and four arms. The three hands should hold a noose, a goad and a tooth respectivelyand the fourth should be in a posture endowing blessings. The belly should be large and the flag should adorn a symbol of a mouse on it. The ears of the idol should be like sifting pans, and the deity should be seated on a wooden seat with a crown on it’s head.

Losses caused by giving a social form to a religious festival:

The Ganesh festival today, even though being a religious one, has proved detrimental to both Righteousness (Dharma) and society. Many people desire that the sanctity of a religious festival should be preserved. Rituals like moving lit lamps (arti), ritualistic worship (puja), making offerings to the deity (tirtha prasad), paying obeisance to The Lord, listening to songs in praise of God (kirtan) and discourses should acquire a significant position in the celebrations. Funds accumulated should be utilised for the spread of Spirituality.

Some examples of propagation of Spirituality are as follows -
1.Cleaning, repair, maintenance and renovation of neighbouring temples
2. Assisting in celebrating religious festivals in nearby places of pilgrimage (tîrthakshetra) and temples
3. Assisting individuals and organisations that aim at fostering Indian culture (sanskruti)
4. Assisting organisations in the study of the Vedâs and the science of Yoga.
5. Providing assistance in cash or in kind to organisations propagating Spirituality, e.g. lending a sound system for a discourse at a nominal rate or free of charge.

Has your local festival achieved this aim?

A religious festival is a religious ritual celebrated collectively in the society to provide rest to the body and happiness to the mind, especially social happiness. One should be able to experience happiness from Nature and fine arts through such festivals and help man to go beyond self (self centredness) and blend with society at least to some extent. Religious festivals unite people who normally do not come together in their day-to-day life, setting aside all discriminations - of financial status, caste and class, literacy, etc. Make this Ganeshotsav a time to unite and be righteous!