who is ganesh the god who is celebrated at the ganesh chaturthi festival
the Remover of Obstacles the God of New Beginnings
title: Ganesh Chaturthi text: Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi (IAST: ), also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi () or Vinayaka Chavithi () is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Ganesha. It falls in the months of August or September of the Gregorian calendar. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha clay idols privately in homes, or publicly on elaborate pandals (temporary stages). Observations include chanting of Vedic hymns and Hindu texts such as , prayers and "vrata" (fasting). Offerings and "prasadam" from the daily prayers, that is distributed from the pandal to the community, include sweets such as modaka as it is believed title: Ganesh Chaturthi text: It is unclear when the festival started, it became a major social and public event with sponsorship of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj after Mughal-Maratha wars, and again in the 19th century after public appeal by Indian freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak, who championed it as a means to circumvent the colonial British government ban on Hindu gatherings through its anti-public assembly legislation in 1892. The earliest mention of "Ganapati", but not referring to the current Ganesha or Vinayaka, is found in the "Rigveda". It appears twice in the "Rigveda", once in hymn 2.23.1, as well as in hymn 10.112.9. Both of these title: Ganesh Jayanti text: Chaturthi festival is that the latter festival is observed in the month of August/September (Bhadrapada Hindu month). According to one tradition, Ganesh Chaturthi is also considered as the birthday of Ganesha. This festival of Ganesha is also called as the Tilo Chauth or Sakat Chauthis in Uttar Pradesh, where Ganesha is invoked on behalf of the son of a family. It is also called as Tilkund chaturthi in Maharashtra. As a legend narrated by Nandi to the Sanatkumara sages, god Krishna was charged with stealing as he saw the moon on Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi - which was prohibited. He observed title: Ganesh Jayanti text: Ganesh Jayanti Ganesh Jayanti (literally "Ganesha's birthday"), also known as Magha shukla chaturthi, Tilkund chaturthi, and Varad chaturthi, is a Hindu festival. This occasion celebrates the birth day of Ganesha, the lord of wisdom. It is a popular festival particularly in the Indian state of Maharashtra and it is also celebrated in goa held during the shukla paksha chaturthi day (fourth day of the bright fortnight or the waxing moon) in the month of Maagha as per almanac, which corresponds to the Gregorian calendar month of January/February. The distinction between the Ganesh Jayanti and the more popular, almost pan-Indian Ganesh title: Ganesh Chaturthi text: goddess(Shakti). Although it is unknown when (or how) Ganesha Chaturthi was first observed, the festival has been publicly celebrated in Pune since the era of Shivaji (1630–1680, founder of the Maratha Empire). After the start of the British Raj, the Ganesha festival lost state patronage and became a private family celebration in Maharashtra until its revival by Indian freedom fighter and social reformer Lokmanya Tilak. The festival, along with processions, was already in vogue as a public and a private celebration in Mumbai (then called Bombay) in 1885, according to the eyewitness account by a visiting Italian Sanskrit professor Anglo