Zee Ganesh Utsav: USAs Largest Community Event Concludes on High Note
Zee Ganesh Utsav: USA’s Largest Community Event Concludes on High Note
This event provided an excellent opportunity to showcase an important aspect of the Indian culture and unite religions and races across the country in a beautiful 5-day event.
On the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, Zee TV USA presented the largest Ganesh Utsav event of New Jersey. From September 5-9, 2016, the Indian neighborhood in Journal Square was lit up, thanks to the royal, 14-feet-statue of Lord Ganesh. Decked in beautiful garlands, the idol sat under a tent decorated with colorful umbrellas, golden pillars, and red and gold tapestries.
A popular festival amongst Hindus, Ganesh Chaturthi has now become a beloved occasion for people across the world. It is celebrated with great fervor and devotion. A statue of Lord Ganesh is brought either at home or in the community with full enthusiasm and dhol-playing.
This event provided an excellent opportunity to showcase an important aspect of the Indian culture and unite religions and races across the country in a beautiful 5-day event.
The five days of celebration at the Ganesh Utsav witnessed the aarti being conducted thrice daily by a dedicated priest. Aarti’s are a series of Sanskrit chants followed by singing bhajans (devotional songs) to the Lord. Each one lasts for about 30-45 minutes. The darshan (prayers) was open to visitors for free all day.
On all the days of Ganesh Chaturthi, excellent and delicious foods such as modaks, puran poli, panchamrut are prepared for the Lord as they are his favorite foods. The food is offered to Ganesh and then distributed as prasad.
At the end of the festival, Lord Ganesh’s statue is taken to sea in a procession called visarjan. It is then immersed at sea with the hope that next year, the Lord will grace us with his presence sooner.
On September 9, the final day of Zee TV’s Ganesh Utsav event, a smaller 2 feet statue of Ganesh will be taken in a procession along the block and brought back to be immersed in a small tank after the evening aarti. This will be followed by a serving of prasad by neighborhood restaurant Bengali Sweet House.
All of the efforts taken to plan and execute this event and bring it to such great fruition was the work of Zee TV USA and volunteers offered their time to make sure the event succeeds and devotees get to fulfill their wishes of praying.
[Photo Credit: Saloni Gajjar]
Praying to Lord Ganesh, also referred to as “Vighnaharta” or remover of obstacles, is of great priority. According to mythology, Ganesh was the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. As Shiva returned from a long journey and didn’t know who Ganesh was, he cut off his head. In order to console Parvati and after learning the truth, he came to Earth in search of a head for his son. A dying elephant offered his head, which Shiva accepted. Therefore, Ganesh is known as the “elephant-head” God. His child-like nature, big belly due to love for food, ability to be kind and generous, are a few of the reasons he is a beloved deity.
Thanks to the Zee TV Ganesh Utsav, Indian-Americans and people from across the world had the opportunity to participate in the Ganesh Chaturthi event in New Jersey. We already cannot wait for next year.
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