June 13, 2017:
Lord Ganesha, popularly known as Ganpati Bappa is a prominent god in Hindu mythology. Every ritual in Hinduism begins with his pooja. He is worded as "Vighnaharta", the one who will end all the obstacles in the ceremony. He is the god of good beginnings and prosperity. He is the giver of riddhi (success and good fortune) and siddhi (Knowledge and intelligence).
As per Indian traditions, Sankashti Chaturthi or "Sankat Hara Chaturthi" is observed on fourth day of Krishan Paksha (dark lunar phase or the waning phase) of every lunar month. It is a day dedicated to Lord Ganesha and it is celebrated with great fervor in the honor of the deity. If the Sankashti Chaturthi falls on Tuesday then it is considered more auspicious and it is termed as Angaraki Chaturthi (angarak in Sanskrit means red like burning coal ambers and refers to the planet Mars, on whom Tuesday is named after). Therefore, it is celebrated on different dates of every month of a year.
Here is how the day is celebrated all across the nation and even overseas:
It is believed that Lord Ganesha fulfills the wishes of those who worship him on this sacred day.
The concept of fasting on a particular day every month has certain physiological reasons too.It helps to detoxify the body like every other fast. During the fasting, when devotees sing songs of the Lord and the stories are narrated, a spiritual and psychological impact on the devotees is created and helps in building discipline, confidence and a feeling of harmony.