Conversation between two friends regarding the ganpati festival
Answers
Ashish: Today we are going to the market to get an idol of Lord Ganesha.
John: Why?
Ashish: The Ganapati Festival is coming. It is known as Vinayak Chaturthi or Ganesh Chaturthi. We bring Lord Ganesha's idol to our house on this day and perform worship.
John: Who is Lord Ganesha?
Ashish: He is the Head of all the Ganas, that is why He is also called Ganapati. We worship him before starting any new work. We believe that He removes all obstacles and grants us happiness and prosperity.
John: Does everyone celebrate this festival?
Ashish: Most of the Hindus do. But it is celebrated on a very large scale in Maharashtra. If you go to Mumbai during this time, you can see huge idols of Lord Ganesha being worshipped in all the areas.
John: Yes, I have seen a procession in which people were taking so many beautiful Ganesha idols.
Ashish: People worship Lord Ganesha's idol for three or five days and then immerse the idol in a lake or river. They pray that Lord Ganesha should come again the next year and bless them.
Hari: I am so excited about the upcoming Ganesh Chaturti festival.
Syed: Please tell me something about it. I would like to know.
Hari: We buy a Ganesha idol and do puja at home. Then we immerse it in a source of water.
Syed: Can I come home to see the idol?
Hari: I am going to the shop to buy one now. Come along with me. You know what makes Him different is His elephant head. We worship him before we start any venture because we believe He is the remover of obstacles.
Syed: So, do you have any special offering for the puja? Or, do you keep just anything?
Hari: It is a belief that the Lord loves modaks. So, we make quite a few of them and offer Him those. After a while, we take them and have them as prasad. They are really yummy.
Syed: Please get me some if your family doesn’t mind.
Hari: Of course, my friend. I would definitely have done so, even if you hadn’t asked.