Ganesh Navratri Begins: Know the Significance of the Nine-Day Festival

Ganesh Navratri celebrations have begun across the country with religious fervour and devotion. Beginning on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi, the nine-day festival is traditionally associated with worshipping Lord Ganesha in different forms. Devotees seek the blessings of Ganesha, who is revered as the remover of obstacles and the bestower of success. According to the tradition, the deity is worshipped as Varasiddhi Vinayaka, Vikata Vinayaka, Lambodara, Gajanana, Mahodara, Ekadanta, Vakratunda, Vighnaraja and Dhoomravarna on the nine days, with different offerings made on each day.

The festival also carries a social dimension, with public celebrations bringing communities together beyond caste and religious differences. During the freedom movement, Bal Gangadhar Tilak encouraged public Ganesh celebrations as a means of bringing people together. The use of clay idols and environmentally conscious immersion practices are also highlighted as part of the festival's significance. Traditional beliefs about the health benefits of leaf worship and purification of air, however, may not have modern scientific evidence and should be understood in that context.