Written by my friend Adity Sharma
Panchaganapati: What is it, and why is it celebrated?
I recently came across an article which discussed how popular celebrating Christmas is becoming with Hindus. I was a little taken aback and wondered if the Christmas celebrating Hindus had run out of festivals of their own. Then I thought, who am I to judge, because once, I was also a Christmas celebrating Hindu.
Every year, the miniature Christmas tree would sit, ladened with traditional ornaments, and tied up with some of the sparkliest tinsel garlands I could find at the local drugstore. The tree sat among a hodgepodge of haphazardly arranged gifts and other decorations. The tree at my Masiji’s (mother’s sister) house in India was also adorned with colorful homemade decorations. My cousins, sister and I followed the decorating of our trees by enjoying cakes especially for the occasion.
Alas, there was only one problem to this near perfect display of festive spirit, and that problem lay in the fact that neither I nor my family are Christians. But as an adolescent, when holiday fever gripped New York City, I couldn’t help but feel a bit left out. Eventually, the Christmas tree no longer featured prominently in our home. Celebrating Christmas as a non-Christian does not serve a constructive purpose, but it may also insult those who celebrate its religious meaning. So what about those more than two million Hindus living in America who want to get into the holiday spirit?
What is Pancha Ganapati?
Ganapati (Ganesh) is the God of wisdom and intelligence, he is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parwati. He has a an older brother named Kartikeya, who is the God of war. Ganapati is worshipped and known by 108 names. Lord Ganesh is widely worshipped and is considered the remover of obstacles, both spiritual and material.
Pancha Ganapati celebrates Lord Ganapati in his Panchmukhi (five faced) form. What is Panchmukhi form Lord Ganapati? Panch means five, and mukhi means face. Each face of the Panchmukhi Ganesh faces a different direction. Each head is a representation of the panch koshas or (five sheaths) in the subtle anatomy of human beings. These are:
- Annamaya kosha – This is the food sheath, and corresponds to the physical body.
- Pranamaya kosha – this is the vital energy, which represents the subtle body, nadis, chakras and kundalini.
- Manomaya kosha – this is the mental sheath, and represents the mind and the organs of perception.
- Vijnanamaya kosha – this is the wisdom sheath, and represents vijnana (intellect), the talent which discriminates, determines or wills.
- Anandamaya kosha – this is the cosmic sheath, and represents the eternal center of consciousness.
It is believed that worshiping the Panchmukhi form of Lord Ganesh will help the devotee achieve Sat-Chit-Ananda (pure consciousness). Moreover, placing Panchmukhi Vinayaka in an easterly direction, can bring prosperity and ward off evil.
Now, let us return to Pancha Ganapati. Pancha Ganapati is a modern Hindu holiday, which is celebrated from the 21st through the 25th of December. In 1985, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, who was the founder of “Hinduism Today” magazine, formulated this fun and festive five day family-centered celebration to compete with the Christian Christmas amongst Hindus.
How to Celebrate Pancha Ganapati?
A wooden or bronze murti (graven image) of Panchmukhi Ganapati is placed in the main living area, preferably the Livingroom. For each of the five days of the festival, Lord Ganapati is decorated in the color of the day. These colors represent one of his five rays of shaktis (energy). Each morning of the five days, an array of sweets and fruits are offered to Lord Ganapati. A puja (prayer) is performed in his name, and afterword, the sweets and fruits are dispersed among the family, relatives or friends. Gifts are exchanged and placed near Panchaganapati. These presents are to be opened on the fifth day.
On each day, one of the five faces is worshiped:
Day one – yellow: this day is devoted to creating a vibe of love and togetherness. Members of the family rise early and perform a grand puja, invoking Lord Ganapati’s blessings. The family members sit together, and make amends for past misconduct and misdeeds. The gathering is concluded by lauding each other’s finest qualities.
Day two – blue: this day is dedicated to calling and writing to relatives and friends in far off places. Gifts are also exchanged with neighbors, relatives and friends.
Day three – red: this is a day to show appreciation towards one’s business associates, customers, employees/employers, or the public. It is also the ideal time to settle disputes and debts.
Day four – green: the spiritual idea of this day is to delight in the arts, music, dance, and drama. On this day, family, friends and relatives gather before Lord Ganapati’s deity to display their artistic gifts. This is also an opportunity to discuss Hindu Dharma, and share plans to bring about more cultural refinement.
Day five – orange: the spiritual message of this day is to bring about love and harmony through seva (charity) and religiousness.
Why Celebrate Panchaganapati?
Panchaganapati is a wonderful and fun opportunity for Hindus, particularly in Western countries, to partake in the holiday season, all the while retaining our religious identity. Panchaganapati does indeed bring Hindus into the holiday season around Christmas time, but the flavor and character is uniquely Hindu. The Christmas tree, Santa Clause, and other symbols are conspicuous only by their absence. The songs or chants are not Christmas carols, but rather are bhajans, shlokas, or mantras. The primary shrine is not a Christmas tree, but a Panchmukhi form of Ganapati. It is perhaps more respectful to leave Christmas celebrations to the Christians. We at Hindu Students Association International, along with all proud Hindus, exhort you, your family, relatives, and friends to partake and enjoy the fun and festive cheer of this holiday.
Let us preserve, protect, and propagate Hindu Dharma, one step at a time.
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