Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi

Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi
Ganesha
Observed by	Hindus
Type	Maharashtra Hindu
Celebrations	Fast and Pooja
Date	Krishna paksha chaturthi in Hindu lunar calendar coming on Tuesday (fourth day of the dark half of moon’s cycle during Every month), decided by Hindu calendar (lunar calendar)

Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi is the 4th day of the waning lunar phase after the full moon. coming on Tuesday.

History

According to Hindu mythology, Angarak the son of Mother Earth and Bharadwaj Rishi, was an accomplished rishi and a great devotee of Lord Ganesha. He worshipped Lord Ganesha and sought his blessings. On Magh Krishna Chaturthi (the day was Tuesday), Lord Ganesha blessed him and asked him for a wish. Angarak expressed that his only wish was to be associated with Lord Ganesha’s name for forever. The Lord granted his wish and proclaimed that whoever worships Lord Ganesha on Angarika Chaturthi will be granted all that he/ she prays for. From that day onwards, Magh Krishna Chaturthi came to be known as Angarak Chaturthi.

Details

On this day, the devotees observe strict fast. They break the fast at night after having darshan/auspicious sight of the moon preceded by prayers to Lord Ganesha. The Angarki Chaturthi (angarak in Sanskrit means red like burning coal ambers) Devotees believe their wishes would be fulfilled if they pray on this auspicious day. Also Angarki Sankashti means deliverance during troubled times, hence observing this fast is believed to reduce your problems as Lord Ganesha symbolizes the remover of all obstacles and supreme lord of intelligence. Before moonlight the Ganapati Atharvashesha is recited to summon the blessings of Lord Ganesha.

It is believed that Lord Ganesh bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during Ganesha festival. It is the day Shiva declared his son Angarki Sankashti as superior to all the gods, barring Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva and Parvati. Angarki Sankashti is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel. It is believed that benefit obtained by performing ‘Angarika Vinayaki’ and ‘Angarika Sankashti’ is equivalent to a series of vinayaki’s and sankashti’s performed in a year.

On Angarika Chaturthi, lakhs of Ganesh devotees visit Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple, stand in long ques for hours for darshan of their beloved god. On this day around 10 – 12 lakh or even more devotees visit Siddhivinayak Temple where special Ganesh Pooja Rituals and Abhishekam is done.

Legend

Main article: Ganesha

Traditional stories tell that Lord Ganesha was created by goddess Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva. Parvati created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. Lord Shiva returned and, as Ganesha didn't know him, he didn't allow him to enter. Lord Shiva became enraged and asked his follower ghosts to teach the child some manners. Ganesha was very powerful, being born of Parvati, the embodiment of shakti (or power). He defeated the ghost-followers (called "Ghana"s) and declared nobody was allowed to enter while his mother was bathing. The sage of heavens, Narada, along with the Saptarshi (the seven wise rishis) sensed a growing turmoil and went to appease the boy with no results. Angered, the king of Gods, Indra attacked the boy with his entire heavenly army but even they didn't stand a chance. By then, this issue had become a matter of pride for Parvathi and Shiva.

After the devas were defeated, the trinity, the controller, preserver and destroyer of the universe launched an attack against Ganesha. Amidst the fighting, Shiva severed the head of the child. And brought on Parvathi's rage. Seeing her son dead, Parvathi revealed her true self, as the Adi-shakti, the prime energy that fuels the universe and sustains matter. Taking on a terrible form, she vowed to destroy the universe where her son was killed and re-create a better one. The Gods prostrated before her and Shiva promised that her son will live again. The trinity hunted the world for a head and came across a mother elephant crying for her dead baby. They consoled the mother and fixed the head of the baby elephant in place of Ganesha's head. Lord Shiva also declared that from this day, the boy would be called as "Ganesha" (Gana-Isha : lord of the Ganas). In this way, Lord Ganesha came to be depicted as the elephant-headed God.