On Saturday, August 19, a video went viral on the microblogging site X, formally Twitter, wherein several girl students can be seen singing the Ganesh Aarti. The video which has emerged is reportedly from the Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School Sallar in Pahalgam town in South Kashmir.
In the video journalist Aditya Raj Kaul posted on X, one student is seen leading the other pupils who are seated in an open space and chanting the Ganesh Vandana.
Beautiful recital of Ganesh Aarti at the Girls High School, Sallar, Pahalgam of South Kashmir. 🙏🇮🇳🌼 pic.twitter.com/mvVJkMrHvN
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) August 18, 2023
After the children finish reciting the Ganesh Vandana, the teachers ask the girl student who is seen leading the other children to say out loud what they just recited and explain the significance of the Lord Ganesha and why is he revered before the commencement of any work.
The student went on to say that they recited the Ganesh Vandana and explained why in Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped before any other Gods or Goddesses.
With the help of one of the teachers, the student explained to her peers that as Lord Ganesha is regarded as the ultimate deity, we recite the Ganesh Vandana and apply Chandan (Sandalwood) paste to his statue before beginning any task and before reversing any other God or Goddess.
As per Hindu mythology, Ganesha is the symbol of good over evil. He destroyed several demons and restored peace in the world which is why we invoke Lord Ganesha before commencing any new work or at the start of any auspicious ceremony or occasion, she explained.
In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped before the commencement of almost every task. In fact, Lord Ganesha is almost synonymous with the beginning of any work. The phrase ‘Shri Ganesh’ signifies the start of something, especially something good and positive.
To understand why Lord Ganesha is worshipped before the commencement of any work, we need to understand the history of Lord Ganesha.
In Shiv Purana, there is a description of an incident where Lord Shiva got angered by Lord Ganesha who was restricting Him to enter the premises as per the orders of Maa Parvati. In anger, He slashed Ganesha’s head.
Seeing this condition of Her son, Parvati became extremely furious and threatened to destroy the entire universe.
To pacify Maa Parvati, Lord Shiva, then gave Lord Ganesha an elephant head in place of his own and ranked him the position of supreme God.
The elephant head on Ganesha’s body was that of Gajasura, an elephant who wished for Lord Shiva to adorn his head after his death. By using the head of Gajasura, Lord Shiva granted his son a new life.
Lord Shiva bestowed Ganesha with divine powers and declared that no puja or good work will ever be deemed complete without invoking Lord Ganesha’s name and blessings. Hence, Lord Ganesha became the ‘pratham pujya’ or the one who is worshipped first.
Therefore, Lord Ganesha is worshipped before each katha or puja. Many people relate Lord Ganesha’s elephant-headed head to his intelligence. As a result, they begin with a Ganesha mantra or a Ganesha aarti.
