The joyous occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi has arrived, a celebration steeped in tradition and fervour. Every year, this festival is marked with great zeal across the nation, characterised by the installation of grand Lord Ganesha idols and culminating in the grand Ganesh Visarjan after ten days. Devotees pray to Ganesha for happiness, prosperity, and success during this auspicious festival, which commemorates the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha.
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The festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi are observed with immense enthusiasm throughout the country, with states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana embracing the occasion with heightened grandiosity. Notably, cities such as Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi as a ten-day-long jubilation.
Ganesha, revered for his endearing love for sweets, is offered an array of delectable dishes during the ten-day festival. Here are some delectable dishes often presented in the ‘bhog’ (offering) for the festival:
Modak: A cherished favourite of Lord Ganesha, modak comprises rice flour dumplings with sweet fillings, steamed to perfection. Most idols of Lord Ganesha are depicted holding a modak.
Pooran Poli: An essential dish during Ganesh Chaturthi, pooran poli consists of a sweet filling made of jaggery and coconut stuffed inside a roti made of wheat flour.
Ladoo: Lord Ganesha's fondness for ladoo is well-known. These sweet balls, made from ingredients like gram flour, rava, ghee, sugar, and dry fruits, are enjoyed not only by Lord Ganesha but also by his devoted followers.
Peda: A delightful milk-based sweet prepared during Ganesh Chaturthi, peda is a concoction of milk, cardamom, flour, sugar, and dry fruits.
Bananas: Lord Ganesha, often depicted as the elephant-headed God, is known to have a penchant for bananas. It is a customary practice to create a garland using bananas, banana leaves, and stems, offering it to the Lord during Ganesh Chaturthi.
Payasam: Particularly in South India, payasam, a rice pudding, is a common preparation using milk, rice, sugar, coconut, jaggery, and cardamom.