The Ganesh Chaturthi festival, observed by worshipping Lord Ganesh—the remover of obstacles and the deity who holds the right to be worshipped first in any ritual—is being celebrated today. The festival falls every year on Bhadra Shukla Chaturthi.
According to scriptures, Lord Ganesh was born on this very day during the Satya Yuga. On this occasion, devotees across the country, including at Ashok Vinayak, Chandra Vinayak, Surya Vinayak, Kamal Vinayak, and Kamaladi Ganesh temples in the Kathmandu Valley, perform special worship to mark the birth anniversary of Ganesh.
Lord Ganesh, son of Shiva and Parvati, holds the privilege of being worshipped first in any religious ritual. According to Prof. Dr. Ram Chandra Gautam, former executive member of the Nepal Panchang Nirnayak Samiti and a scholar of Hindu scriptures, today also marks the completion of the Haritalika Teej fast, after which devotees traditionally worship Ganesh.
The Ganesh Purana mentions that those who observed fasting on Bhadra Shukla Tritiya for marital harmony and family well-being should worship Ganesh on Chaturthi, praying for a life free of obstacles. The religious practice requires completing the Teej fast in the morning and then worshipping Ganesh at midday, offering sacred oblations (arghya). Some devotees also undertake a special Ganesh Chaturthi fast on this day.
In the Newar community, there is also a tradition of distributing sweets known as “Chhusya-Musya” to children. Since 2008 (2065 B.S.), a chariot procession of Lord Ganesh has been organized in Kathmandu and other major cities on the day following Chaturthi. Furthermore, the National Religious Assembly (Rastriya Dharmasabha) was founded on this day in 2007 (2064 B.S.), which is why it is also commemorated as its establishment day.
About the Author
