Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival of Andhra Pradesh

Name of Festival : Vinayaka Chaturthi

Major Territory of Celebration
Vinayaka Chaturthi is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh and some other parts of India.

Time of celebration (Month)
This Festival is celebrated on the 4th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadrapada (August – September)

Worship in Festival
This festival is celebrated on the birthday of Lord Ganesh (Ganesha)

About Festival :
Vinayaka Chaturthi is a common Hindu festival and celebrated on the 4th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadrapada.This festival is celebrated on the birthday of Lord Ganesh (Ganesha), the god of wisdom and prosperity .No religious function is commenced without invoking Vinayaka or Ganesha, the elephant-headed God with one tusk, the son of Shiva and his consort Parvati.Before this festival people prepare the colourful idols of Vinayaka in in different sizes .

All family members take an oil bath and decorate their houses with festoons and rangvali. People worshipped the idola of Vinayaka with various flowers, leaves, fruits and corn. The artisans, craftsmen and people of different professions and traders worship the Lord and implement of their respective professions.

On this day special preparations called undrallu and kudumulu, the favourite dishes of Lord Vinayaka and his mount Mushaka (the rat), along with payasam, the rice milk porridge, are offered as naivedyam. People marked in red and white with a double pair of circles symbolising the foot-prints of Vinayaka in their house and floor.Nobody is allowed to take any thing till the worship of Vinayaka is over and the prasadam of the Lord is taken .On the ninth day, the image is taken in a procession accompanied by music and with much pomp to a river tank or well and immersed after it has been worshipped.In the night people avoid seeing the moon on Vinayaka Chaveti to protect themselves against baseless accusations and blame.