With just a few days left for the auspicious Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, all the preparations are underway in Mumbai, rest of Maharashtra and nearby states. The 10-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival begins on September 2 and will continue till September 12. Devotees celebrate this festival with same fervour each year, but tend to forget the architect of present-day Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations in the Western region. The man is none other than Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who was not only a nationalist, but was described as 'The Father of Indian Unrest' by the British.

Tilak was a man behind turning a private, household Ganesh Chaturthi celebration to a gala event. For people in Mumbai, Maharashtra and other Western regions of India, the celebrations for ten days bring immense joy and a chance to unite with their relatives. However, this concept of unity didn't arrive all of a sudden. It was Tilak who saw that this festival could become an opportunity to unite people against the East India Company post-1857 rebellion. Ganesh Chaturthi 2019 Information & Schedule: What is This Festival And Why Is It Celebrated? Here’s Everything to Know About Ganeshotsav

History:

The Indian Rebellion of 1857, also recognised as the Sepoy Mutiny or India's First War of Independence, was a time of awakening for the Indians to stand up against the rule of the East India Company. The Sepoy Mutiny posed a severe threat to East India Company and following this, British India became cautious. Tilak, who was one of the prominent leaders of the Great Rebellion, gave people the reason to come together against the British in such a way that they couldn't oppose.

Lord Ganesh: The God for Everyone

Bal Gangadhar Tilak observed that Lord Ganesh was considered "The God for Everyone" and was worshipped by the members belonging to the upper castes and lower castes. Be it leaders and followers from various social class, Lord Ganesha was the favourite among all. Tilak made efforts to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins through Ganesh Chaturthi and organised Ganesh Utsav as a social and religious function in 1893.

He used large hoardings with images of Lord Ganesh in pavilions and the man behind the tradition of immersion of huge Ganesh statues on the concluding day of the festival. Since the public, social and political gatherings were banned by the British at that time, this festival gave people a chance, and served as a meeting place of all castes and communities. Since then, year after year, Ganesh Utsav is celebrated with the same zeal. Ganesh Chaturthi 2019 Date: Significance, Rituals, Celebrations Related to the 10-Day Ganpati Utsav.

About the Ganesh Utsav, the festival is celebrated for ten days and falls in the Hindu month of Bhadra which is observed either in the month of August or September in the Gregorian calendar. The festival begins on Shukla Chaturthi which is the fourth day of the waxing moon period and ends on the 14th day of the waxing moon period known as Anant Chaturdashi. Ganesh Chaturthi 2019 date falls on September 2 (Monday) while Anant Chaturdashi will be observed on September 12 (Thursday).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 31, 2019 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).