Sunday, September 27, 2015

Spiritual Essence of Ganesh Puja





Sarvajanik Ganesh festival is the outcome of efforts put in by Lokmaniya Tilak during the British rule in India when group meetings were banned. Under the auspices of Ganesh puja people gathered in numbers. Even today, Ganesh festival is the most celebrated of all Indian festivals the world over. The deity is an epitome of super intelligence, power and wisdom.

Lord Ganesh is one of the favorite deities in every Indian household. Being referred to as Pratham Pujya, Lord Ganesh is the 1st deity invoked before initiation of any religious ceremony.  It is believed that when Lord Ganesh is invoked, he leaves his heavenly abode and resides within the confines of our home. After serving him for a period of  1, 5, 7 or 10 days, he bids farewell to return back to his abode.

During his stay, chanting of prayers and mantras continue. This is a reflection of bhakti yoga. Chanting in groups raises the positive vibrations of every individual as well as the surrounding area. 

Ganesh is the lord of the panch tatvas i.e. Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Ether. So during visarjan, when the idol is immersed in water it is a gentle reminder that nothing lasts forever. All living things will eventually become formless. Our physical body will convert into these tatvas when the soul severs ties with the physical body.

The visarjan of the Ganesh idol actually represents the visarjan of all the vikars i.e.to surrender all negative qualities like anger, pride, desires, ego, lust, etc to the higher self. When one surrenders to the higher self, a complete transformation takes place. One is completely detached from all worldly aspects.  The realization that we are spiritual beings in a temporary physical body sets in.

The elephant head explains it all. In other words, when Ganesh was created by Parvati (Shakti or Kundalini), he was not spiritually developed. So when Shiva ( higher self, symbolized by the ball on his head) intervenes, there is resistance by the lower nature represented by original Ganesh. Slaying of Ganesh’s head by Shiva represents dissolution of the lower nature or negative qualities. The elephant head symbolizes Shakti or Kundalini energy which on activation rises from the base of the spine or the basic chakra and moves upwards towards the crown chakra on the top of the head and merges with the descending divine energy. When this happens you become like Ganesh.

Therefore, the practice of loving kindness and letting go of ill feelings towards oneself as well as others is the path leading to one’s spiritual development.

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