The Ganesh Chaturthi celebration is just around the corner. Indians are all set to welcome Lord Ganesha, also known as Vinayaka or Ganapati, into their homes. The festival celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is widely known as the remover of obstacles and giver of good fortune, success, and wisdom. This year, the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations will begin on September 7, 2024. In the house of Kanchaguli Bhagwat in Siddapur taluk, North Karnataka district, there is a unique Ganesha idol that has not been immersed in water for over a decade. This Yaksha Ganapati idol was crafted by Chinmaya Bhagwat, during his first year of PUC studies, now an engineer in America. Interestingly, his family never had a tradition of placing a Ganesha idol in their home, as Lord Gowri is more celebrated than Lord Ganesha in the Siddapur-Sagar region. The Gowri Habba festival is celebrated with great significance, and in villages like Kanchaguli, it’s common to find more than one Gowri idol in every tenth house.
The Bhagwat family worshipped the Ganesh idol wholeheartedly, but this particular idol has not been immersed. In this region, it is believed that if a worshipped Ganesha idol is kept in the house, it prevents them from the problem of woolly worms. Some people keep the idol for over a year before immersing it.
Shankar Bhagwat of Kanchaguli has kept this Ganesha idol for the past ten years because it was made by his son. This Yaksha Ganesha idol has become a cherished member of the household. Traditionally, the longest period one might keep a Ganesha idol is until Ashtami or Ananta Chaturdashi, plus an additional year. Yet, in this case, the Bhagwat family has kept the idol for ten years, which is very unusual.
What makes this special is that Shankar Bhagwat has chosen to preserve this Ganesha out of deep emotional attachment to his son’s creation, without worrying about societal norms or what others might think.
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