Panch Ganpati: the Hindu mid-winter festival
During the winter of December between the 21st - 25th the worship of Ganesh in his five-faced Maha Ganapati form is performed in a modern Hindu festival known as Pancha Ganapati. Pancha Ganapti is a Hindu expression of a seasonal worship, gift giving and celebration. The festival is based around the family especially the young children, the future of Hinduism, who play an integral part of its performance.
December 27th, 2006 at 2:27 am
Namaste. So very glad to see the article on Pancha Ganapati, the home festival we celebrated for years with out children, now our grandchild.
It was created by our Guru to fill the void felt byf his devotees - especially the children- at this time of year. If you include the article again, say next December, you might consider mentioning the special meaning of each of the five days which corespond to the five shaktis of our beloved Lord Ganesha. You can read about it in the December, 1997 issue of Hinduism Today. See: http://www.hinduismtoday.com
Aum Shanti, Bhavani
December 27th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
First time Ive heard of this festival.
December 29th, 2006 at 2:01 am
I agree with KP. Moreover I am Priest and no Jagmaan has ever called any of my lineage (Bharatdwja & Sandal Gotr) to perform such a ceremony. Are we again incorporating An-Aryan practices and really lousing things up.
Here’s the news www.hinduismtoday is trying to tell us that RV Bk 2. 23 is the Authority on this.
a) Ganesh / Ganapati is not in the RV
b) RV Bk 2.23 - Bhramanspati is being called to battle for the righteous
c) Hinduism today does not state that Mitra Jayanti is actually the winter solstice (25th dec)
Can someone shed some light on this? DB? any thoughts?
December 29th, 2006 at 9:51 am
It is good to know that “Panch Ganpati” is celebrated during the Christmas Period or one can argue that Christmas is celebrated during the Panch Ganpati celebrations. It shows how all the religious or social beliefs have a similar logical base. So we shouls all celebrate together (may be in different way but with harmony without showing ourselves better or worst than any other culture).
It will be helpful if this article is published in November 2007 or even just before that so that the Christmas cards shouls also enclude the print about Vighanhara. It will help to remind that as human being we are equal and together to celebrate the festive season of end of the year and hope for better start for the new year.
Wishing the Hindu Voice UK and all its readers a very happy and peaceful new year 2007.
December 30th, 2006 at 2:35 am
It is good to know that this period is also a Hindu festival, “Panch Ganpati”. I knew that the Christians had inherited the festival from the Pagans and is now claiming it as their own, but I didn’t know that it coincided with “Panch Ganpati”, and follows more or less the same pattern.
Thanks
Nehru.
December 30th, 2006 at 11:03 am
GARBAGE
a)Panch Ganapati is a concoction. No Vedas, Ramyne, Gita, Upnishads, Puranas etc authorize it.
b) Most worrying howver, is why was it invented around Christmas. Are we Hindus so uncomfortable in our own faithwe need to monkey the ways of the An-Aryans.
c) We also again insult the Vedas by forgetting that Mitra brought light to winter. Therefore is any should be celebrated we should celbrate Mitra Jayanti Dec 25th. Which is where Christmas came from. Not Panch ganapati.
This is madness and an insult to the Aryawarth to celebrate Panch Ganapati.
I pray that Intellect permeates thru is quagmire as Mitra’s Great ligth thru the darkness of winter.
Veda Shakti!
January 4th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Jai Sri Krishna
This Pancha Ganapthi festival is a Shiviate Hindu festival founded by Sumbramanya Swami of Hawaii. The Puranas or other scritptures may not mention it, but what is harm of doin puja for Ganesh during this time. Afterall during divalli and other festivals, Western Hindus in the west often find it hard to make time to celebrate due to work etc… So its nice that Western Hindus can make bets use of their national holidays!
However i do want to stress that this Pancha Ganapathi is an Shiviate festival and Vaishnavas have thier own festivals which occur around xmas time. Gita Jayanti occurs some tim in december. Also the solar month of Danur (sagittarius) which roughly coincides with the Magshar lunar nonth, occures from mid december to jan 14th which is Makar Shankranti. This month of Dhanur is considered very sacred and many Vaishnva temples have special pre-dawn pujas. This period is also called the Adyayana festival when the vedas and other scritptures are recited daily. Vaikuntha ekadashi which fell on december 30th is considered to be the day when the doors of Vaikuntha Loka (heaven of Visnu) are opened. The new Balaji temple in west mids celebrated this festival with great pomp. These festivities however are more prevalant in the south hence why most Uk Hindus whe tend to be north indians may not be familiar with them. But if you go to swaminarayan-Vaishnav temples you will see that Dhanurmas is observed. Im not to certain but many this period also has significance for the devotees of Shiva. The Dhanurmas period culminates on the 14th of January which is the MakarShankranti/uttrayan/pongal festival. In India is a major national holiday and harvest festival.