VAKRA THUNDA MAHAKAYA
SURYA KOTI SAMAPRABHA
NIRVIGNAM KURUMEY DEVA
SARVA KARYESHU SARVADA
OM... OM... OM ...
GANESH CHATHURTHI FESTIVAL
Ganesha birthday is on Ganesh Chathurthi which falls on 4th day of bright full moon in the month of Bhadrapada of Hindu Calendar.
Ganesha is GOD OF WISDOM AND GOD OF BEGINING.
He is an elephant headed god with a Rat as his vehicle.
He is the son of lord Shiva and Parvathi.His wives are siddi - achievement and Buddhi - Intellectual. He removes all the obstacles and is pleased very soon with his favourite food Kadubu/modak/kozlukottai (coconut, jaggery stuffed rice flour dumplings) and usli/sundal(boiled black chickpeas).
The festival is celebrated and worshipped by keeping clay ganesha idol on a wooden plank rangoli is put in rice flour ,1 cup rice is put on the plank on that some patres(leaves) garike hullu (grass) decorated with his favourite bili ekkada hoo(White Indian flower) and Garike hullu(Indian grass). In front of ganesha idol a small Gauri(ganesha mother) is kept, ghee lamp is lighted,chandan,akshata,gejjevastra, janiwara and a coin is kept. prayers are offered by saying his special names(ashtothara - 108 names)and story is read .
GAJASYA,VIGNARAJA,LAMBODARA,SHIVATMAJA,VAKRATHUNDA, SHURPAKARNA,KUBJA, VINAYAKA,VIGNANASHA,VIKATA, VAMANA, SARVADAIVATHA, SARVARTHINASHA,BHAGAWAN, VIGNAHARTHA, DHUMRAKA, SARVADEVADI DEVA,EKADANTA,BALACHANDRA, GANESHWARA, GANAPATHI.
For Gauri kumkuma and flower archana will be done. After this Arthi is done .
Friends and family are invited and offered them the pooja prasada. End of the day ,after 8 in the evening , Ganesha is given a send off which is called Visarjane in the lake, pond, bucket of water, well and pray him by saying come back again next year.This festival is celebrated throught out India grandly. Its a public festival.
IMPORTANT QUOTE: MY GRANDPARENTS ,PARENTS, IN-LAWS ALWAYS SAY THAT THE PURPOSE OF EVERY INDIAN FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED WITH DEVOTION AND SHARING THE JOY WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS IS THAT GOD WILL BLESS US AND OUR FAMILY AND ALSO BLESS ALL THE FRIENDS FAMILY AS WELL. ALWAYS BE-ING POSITIVE, HELP AND LIVE PEACEFUL LIFE WITH EVERYONE, NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE. GOD IS ONE TO ONE AND ALL. ONLY THE FORMS ARE DIFFERENT.
RESPECT OTHER FORM OF GOD IS ALSO RESPECTING YOUR OWN FORM OF GOD.
GANESH FESTIVAL RECIPE
KADUBU / MODAK RECIPE (steaming version)
modak cover
Rice Flour 1 cup
water 2 cups
sesame oil 1 tbspn
salt a pinch
for filling
fresh grated coconut 2 cups
jaggery 11/2 cups
cardmom powder 1/4 tspn
1. Melt jaggery and see that foam emerges and its sticky ,add grated coconut, mix well , as it thickens add cardamom powder and turn off.
2. Boil 2 cups of water ,when boiling add a pinch of salt and 1 tbspn sesame oil, add rice flour when its bubble boiling ,turn off by closing lid. After 3 minutes take wooden stick ,mix well that no lump is formed.close the lid
3. Hot Rice flour paste is ready.Apply few drops of oil in both hands, make lemon size balls and place them on the left palm and press from right palm ,you get a round circle place little filling in that and close the circle like whole garlic. you can see the peak point .
4. Smear oil on idli plates place these modaks next to one another and steam for
8-10 minutes depending on the size of modak. sprinkle some cold water on this hot modaks and then eat .
Its healthy because of steaming and the taste is delicious.Few people deep fry maida modaks with this filling. Even this tastes good. Health concious people avoid deep frying.
USLI / SUNDAL
Black chickpeas 2 cups
grated coconut 4 tbspn
chopped coariander 2 tbspn
chopped green chillies 2 tbspn
Asfodita (hing powder) a pinch
Mustard 1 tspn
urad dal 2 tspn
few curry leaves
oil for seaoning
salt as required
1.Soak black chick peas overnight. Morning cook with little salt and strain water.
2.For seasoning 2 tspn oil ,add mustard - as it splatters ,add hing, urad dal - fry till brown ,add green chillies, coriander and curry leaves.
3. Add cooked chickpeas ,mix well ,add little salt again mix well with grated coconut.
Usli is good combination with sweet modaks. Lord Ganesh enjoys the most as its his favourite food .We enjoy eating his prasad on his name.
HAPPY GANESH CHATHURTHI TO EVERYONE
GANESHA BANDHA KAI KADUBU THINDA
CHIKKERELI BIDDHA DODDAKERELI EDDHA
GANESHA BAPPA MORIYA MANGALA MURTHI MORIYA
SHREE VIDYA GANAPATHI KI JAI
This is the song all the children sing in chorus with joy and dance with friends. Even parents ,grand parents join and sing along with children loudly with joy.
Lord Ganesha enjoys this ,blesses all and comes back every year. Festival is grand ,elegant, exclusive and lord Ganesha looks simply SUPERB .
JAI GANESH JAI GANESH JAI GANESH DEVA
MATHA JAKI PARVATHI PITHA MAHA DEVA
