Gaya (Bihar) [India]: As part of the ongoing Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, devotees prepared and offered a 51-kilogram Modak to Lord Ganpati in the Powerganj area of Gaya in Bihar.
Visuals show the Modak covered in an assortment of dry fruits such as almonds, pistachios, cashews and raisins.
Modak, a Maharashtrian-styled festive dumpling, is made with rice flour dough and a sweet coconut jaggery filling.
Traditionally these sweet dumplings are handmade, filled with sweetened coconut and offered to Lord Ganesh during the 9-day Ganesh Chaturthi Festival, and are said to depict wealth and prosperity.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day festival that starts on the fourth day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month ‘Bhadrapada’ and this year the festival commenced on September 19. This auspicious ten-day festival starts with ‘Chaturthi’ and ends on ‘Anantha Chaturdashi’.
It is believed that Lord Ganesh arrives on Earth during the festival and after the 10 days of blessings he showers on his devotees, he returns back to his parents Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on ‘Kailash Parvat’.
The festive period is also known as ‘Vinayak Chaturthi’ or ‘Vinayak Chavithi’.
The festival celebrates Ganesh as the ‘God of New Beginnings’ and the ‘Remover of Obstacles’ as well as the god of wisdom and intelligence.
