Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The White Hindu

Home
Hindu
Happy Birthday, Ganesha! (Ganesh Chaturthi)

Happy Birthday, Ganesha! (Ganesh Chaturthi)

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:35 pm by Ambaa Choate

Happy Birthday, Ganesha! (Ganesh Chaturthi) 2015-03-13T22:35:15-04:00 Ambaa Choate

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

As we know, Ganesha is one of the most beloved of Gods and seems to reside in every Hindu home regardless of sect or region and it’s his birthday today!

The festival of Ganesh Ghaturthi stretches over ten or eleven days starting today. Different sites are giving different dates for the final day, Ananta Chaturdasi, so it is either September 18th or 19th.

However, preparations have already been under way for weeks. People are busy creating new Ganesha statues from clay and on the last day of the festival, they will be carried to rivers and submerged. This symbolizes Ganesha returning home and carrying your troubles away with him.

My faux-mother-in-law is from Maharashtra where, she says, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with particular enthusiasm!

Ganesha’s Birth Story

Parvati, wife of Shiva, was preparing to take a bath when she decided she needed someone to guard the door while Shiva was away. She crafted a boy and breathed life into him, then asked him not to let anyone pass while she bathed.

Shiva came home and wanted to see his wife, but the child at the door would not let him in. Enraged, he cut off the child’s head and entered. Parvati discovered her dead son and was so distraught that Shiva brought him back to life, but he needed a new head. So Shiva used the head of a nearby elephant.

From that day on Ganesha was the son of both Parvati and Shiva.

{There is a more detailed version of the story, with some variations, and commentary on its meaning here: http://www.amritapuri.org/3714/ganesha.aum}

Ways To Celebrate

* Craft your own Ganesha. Make it environmentally friendly by using a biodegradable clay (or make your own with the recipe below). This is a wonderful festival to celebrate with children, as they can create their own Ganeshas.

* Today is the day to install these new Ganesha murtis in your home mandir. Offer pujas to Ganesha every day between September 9th and September 18th. Decorate more elaborately than usual, maybe with fresh flowers and strings of lights

* Find a nearby river or lake to take your statue to (you could also use a bucket of water, but it’s more dramatic and fun when you use a real river) for the last day. Make sure to whisper your wishes and hopes into his ear before he goes!

* Bake lots of sweets! Ganesha loves sweets, particularly modak (which, as I learned the first year I did this, is tricky to make!)

Clay Recipe

Air Hardening Modeling Clay

- (makes about 2 pounds – the recipe can be halved).

2 cups baking soda

1 cup cornstarch (cornflour)

1.5 cups cold water

Baking soda and cornstarch make a smooth, pliable play clay that can be colored with everyday food coloring – or left white and painted once it hardens. When you have made your model, leave it to air dry – turning every 12 hours or so.

Place ingredients in a pan and stir until smooth. Set the pan over a medium heat and stir until boiling. Stir out any lumps and cook until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Turn out onto a plate and cover with a damp, well-wrung kitchen towel – let cool. Dust a work surface with cornstarch and knead until pliable.

– From: http://www.homeschooling-ideas.com/how-to-make-clay.html

Modak Recipe

First these special sweets are prepared and offered to god as “naivedya” and then distributed as “prasad” to family and friends.

Prepare the filling first.

For the filling

2 cup shredded fresh coconut
1 cup jaggery or sugar
1/2 cup a mixture of unsalted pistachios and unsalted cashews.

1/2 cup Milk

1/2 a pinch of cardamom powder

To prepare the filling, mix the coconut, milk & jaggery or sugar together and cook on a medium flame. Stir continuously until they are mixed properly. If you are using sugar the mixture will start to caramelize and bubble. Add the cashews and pistachios. Cook for another minute. Lastly ad the cardamom powder. Mix well. Let it cool. Set aside.

For the outer cover

1 cup rice flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ghee
1/2 teaspoon salt

Boil 1 cup of water. When it has reached a steady boil, add ghee, salt and oil. Now immediately add the rice flour and stir quickly so as to remove all lumps. Cover with a lid for some time. Remove the lid & stir again & again, cover again.

Note : The dough should be neither too sticky nor too dry.

Now remove pan from the heat. Take off all the mixture on a flat plate. Knead it thoroughly while hot. Make a soft dough. Keep covered aside.

To make the modaks

It is best to make the modaks when the dough is slightly warm.

Grease the palms of your hands well. Take a ball of dough. Flatten the dough to form a cup shape. Place about 3/4th teaspoon coconut filling into this cup. Dip thumb & index finger in the oil & make 5-6 small pinches side by side on the outside edges of the cup. Bring them together on top and join to form a peak. Your modak is complete. This should look like a whole garlic pod. .

Place the modak on a pre greased plate.

Make the rest of the modaks. Place them on a pre-greased plate. Steam for about 15 minutes. Serve with ghee.

-From http://www.cuisinecuisine.com/Modak.htm

My homemade Ganesha and some very pathetic modak!

happy birthday ganesh

Previous Post

September 6, 2013

Top Posts of August

Next Post

September 10, 2013 Meet a Guru: Ramana Maharshi

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Club Hindu Holiday How Am I Being a Hindu This Week? Inside the Life Meet a God Meet a Guru Movie Club Philosophy Corner Resources Scripture Uncategorized Wild Card

Select a Month February 2020 September 2019 May 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which letter contains a hymn about Christ emptying Himself and being exalted?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Romans Ephesians Philippians Titus