Ganesh Chaturthi 2014 [Hindu Holiday]

This year Ganesha’s birthday, Ganesh Chaturthi is on Friday August 29th (this coming Friday) and lasts until the final day, Ananta Chaturdasi, on September 8.

This is a holiday of renewal. The belief goes that Ganesha comes to stay with us for a little while and at the end he goes back home, taking our problems with him. People get new Ganesha statues (or make them, see below!) and then at the end of the holiday they are immersed in a river to represent the God returning to his home.

Ganesha’s Birth Story

Parvati, wife of Shiva, was preparing to take a bath when she decided she needed someone to guard the door while Shiva was away. She crafted a boy and breathed life into him, then asked him not to let anyone pass while she bathed.

Shiva came home and wanted to see his wife, but the child at the door would not let him in. Enraged, he cut off the child’s head and entered. Parvati discovered her dead son and was so distraught that Shiva brought him back to life, but he needed a new head. So Shiva used the head of a nearby elephant.

From that day on Ganesha was the son of both Parvati and Shiva.

{There is a more detailed version of the story, with some variations, and commentary on its meaning here: http://www.amritapuri.org/3714/ganesha.aum}

To Do

* Craft your own Ganesha. Make it environmentally friendly by using a biodegradable clay (or make your own with the recipe below). This is a wonderful festival to celebrate with children, as they can create their own Ganeshas.

* On the 29th, install the new Ganesha murtis in your home mandir. Offer pujas to Ganesha every day between August 29th and September 8th. Decorate more elaborately than usual, maybe with fresh flowers and strings of lights

* Find a nearby river or lake to take your statue to (you could also use a bucket of water, but it’s more dramatic and fun when you use a real river) for the last day. Make sure to whisper your wishes and hopes into his ear before he goes!

* Bake lots of sweets! Ganesha loves sweets, particularly modak (which, as I learned the first year I did this, is tricky to make!)

Clay Recipe

You can make your own little Ganesha statue and it’s a great activity to do with kids! I encourage people to make their own from biodegradable materials because to me it seems against the spirit of the holiday that so many statues are broken and abandoned in rivers to become trash.

Salt Dough Recipe:

Put equal parts of salt and flour together then add water until it forms a dough. You can use spices to color parts of the dough (try red chili powder or turmeric). I used cloves for the eyes. Leave it to dry.

Here’s my Ganesh Chaturthi statue!

Modak Recipe

First these special sweets are prepared and offered to god as “naivedya” and then distributed as “prasad” to family and friends.

Prepare the filling first. 

For the filling

2 cup shredded fresh coconut
1 cup jaggery or sugar
1/2 cup a mixture of unsalted pistachios and unsalted cashews.

1/2 cup Milk

1/2 a pinch of cardamom powder

To prepare the filling, mix the coconut, milk & jaggery or sugar together and cook on a medium flame. Stir continuously until they are mixed properly. If you are using sugar the mixture will start to caramelize and bubble. Add the cashews and pistachios. Cook for another minute. Lastly ad the cardamom powder. Mix well. Let it cool. Set aside. 

For the outer cover

1 cup rice flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ghee
1/2 teaspoon salt

Boil 1 cup of water. When it has reached a steady boil, add ghee, salt and oil. Now immediately add the rice flour and stir quickly so as to remove all lumps. Cover with a lid for some time. Remove the lid & stir again & again, cover again. 

Note : The dough should be neither too sticky nor too dry. 

Now remove pan from the heat. Take off all the mixture on a flat plate. Knead it thoroughly while hot. Make a soft dough. Keep covered aside.

To make the modaks

It is best to make the modaks when the dough is slightly warm.

Grease the palms of your hands well. Take a ball of dough. Flatten the dough to form a cup shape.  Place about  3/4th teaspoon coconut filling into this cup. Dip thumb & index finger in the oil & make 5-6 small pinches side by side on the outside edges of the cup. Bring them together on top and join to form a peak. Your modak is complete. This should look like a whole garlic pod. .

Place the modak on a pre greased plate. 

Make the rest of the modaks. Place them on a pre-greased plate. Steam for about 15 minutes. Serve with ghee.

-From http://www.cuisinecuisine.com/Modak.htm