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This year's Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations will begin on September 7.
The Bhagwat family worships Ganesha wholeheartedly.
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations are around the corner. Indians are all set to welcome Lord Ganesha (also known as Vinayaka or Ganapati) into their homes. The festival celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is widely regarded as the remover of obstacles and the giver of good luck, success and wisdom. This year, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations will begin on September 7, 2024. This Yaksha Ganapati idol was made by Chinmaya Bhagwat, who is now an engineer in the United States, during his first year of study at PUC. Interestingly, his family never had the tradition of placing a Ganesh idol in their homes as Lord Gauri is more revered than a Ganesh idol in the Siddapur-Sagar area. The celebration of Gauri Haba Festival is of great significance and in villages like Kanchaguri, more than one idol of Gauri will be found in every ten households.
The Bhagwat family worships the Ganesha idol wholeheartedly, but this particular idol was not immersed in it. In this region, it is believed that if you keep an idol of the worshiped Lord Ganesha in your home, you can prevent caterpillar problems. Some people keep the idol for more than a year before immersing it in water.
Shankar Bhagwat of Kanchaguri has been keeping this idol of the Ganesha for the past ten years as it was made by his son. This Yaksha Ganesha idol has become a cherished part of the family. Traditionally, the maximum period for which people keep the idol of Lord Deity is till Ashtami or Ananta Chaturdashi, plus one year. However, in this case, it is unusual that the Bhagwat family kept the idol for ten years.
What's special about it is that Shankar Bhagwat chose to preserve this Ganesha out of his deep emotional attachment to his son's creation without worrying about social norms or what other people thought.
