Why We Chant Ganpati Bappa Morya ! - Meaning and Significance

India, a country known as a pioneer in the fields of spirituality, religion, world harmony, and theology, is the place that gave birth to many prominent religions like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism etc. Hinduism is the religion followed by the majority of Indian population. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions of the world, and is more a way of life than a religion. Unlike many other prominent religions, Hinduism was not founded by a single person and does not have a central authoritative institution or power. Hinduism encompasses all the beliefs, even atheism. The most commonly followed form of Hinduism involves worshipping many Gods and Goddesses. Their idols are made and worshipped at home or in temples. Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Parvati, Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati etc are some of the most widely known and worshipped deities of the Hindu religion. Each deity is described to have different roles in the maintenance of Earth and the life here. Their personality, appearance, roles, origin and various stories about their significance are spread across the Indian Mythological scriptures like Bhagwad Gita, Vedas etc. Books like Vedas, Puranas, Bhagvad Gita etc. are the source of information about all these nuances, beliefs and traditions of Hinduism. Learning about religion is imperative in today’s world, because it builds a strong moral and ethical foundation. Religious learning also increases cultural and historical awareness and being well versed about our culture and history, leads to a sense of pride and devotion that makes citizens of the country patriotic. Patriotism is a virtue that should be instilled in all the people of a country as it ensures that they will always put country first and will not do anything to harm their nation and their people. Besides, religion also brings a sense of peace and calmness to life. It can offer a coping mechanism for stress, meditation etc. are also a part of religious practices and they improve mental health.

Among the Hindu deities, Lord Ganesha is one of the most worshipped, well known God, with his temples all over the India , even outside India. Lord Ganesha is Pratham Pujya that means the God who is worshipped first before all other Gods and Goddesses during any religious ceremony or while initiating any important or auspicious work (Pratham means first, Pujya means worshipped).

Lord Ganesha: Origin

The legend says that once Goddess Parvati was having a bath and she asked ganas ( servants) of Lord Shiva to guard the entrance of their house, but when Lord Shiva came, the ganas let him enter. Goddess Parvati thought that if there was someone who only listened to me, and was not afraid of Lord Shiva, then he would have not entered the house while she was bathing. So, the next time she took a bath, she applied a ubtan, a cosmetic paste and then with the removed paste she made an idol of a boy. Then, she slightly cut her little finger and smeared the blood on the idol. The idol came to life at once. She called that boy her son, and asked him to guard the entrance. Meanwhile, Lord Shiva came there and tried to enter the house. When the boy, did not let him enter, he engaged in a fight with the boy, and not knowing that Goddess Parvati considered him her son, Lord shiva beheaded the boy in anger. When Goddess Parvati came out she saw the ongoing chaos and got very angry. To calm her down , the boy was resurrected , but with the head of an elephant instead of the cut human head. Then , Lord shiva assigned that boy as the leader of his Ganas ( Ganesh means isha of ganas, i.e. leader of all the servants and followers of Lord Shiva).

In some other story about the origin of Lord Ganesha, it is said that the Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva in a playful moment made an idol of boy together and then made it come to life, giving birth to Ganesha. Another legend says that Goddess Parvati did Tapasya i.e. fasted continuously , till she was not blessed by a son.

Whatever the legends say, Lord Ganesha is definitely the most worshipped God in India, especially in Maharashtra. Maharashtra’s Ganpati festival is popular worldwide.

Ganpati festival:

Maharashtra’s Ganapati festival is the best example of amalgamation of spirituality, religion, unity and festivities. In Maharashtra the Ganpati Festival in its current form was popularised by famous politician of the pre independence era, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, in order to strengthen the unity and harmony in the state. In Maharashtra, Lord Ganesha is fondly called Ganapati bappa. Ganpati has the same meaning as the word Ganesha and Bappa means Father. Calling Ganpati as Bappa indicates that his devotees think of him as their father and believen that as a father takes care of his kids and never lets any problem touch them , similarly Ganpati bappa will protect all his devotees as his own children. This Addition of Bappa with the name of Ganpati adds a sense of love along with devotion.

Ganpati Bappa Morya: Meaning

When devotees, especially the Maharashtrian devotees worship Ganpati they chant Ganpati Bappa Morya repeatedly. During Ganpati festival they chant, Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya warshi lavkar ya, in Marathi, which is a plea of devotees to the Ganpati requesting him to come soon the next year. The meaning of this chant can be understood by learning the meaning of the words individually. Ganpati is a Sanskrit word originally that is a mixture of two words Gana meaning people or multitude and pati meaning lord or leader. Thus, Ganpati means leader of the people or Lord of the multitude. Bappa means father in many India languages including Marathi.

The word Morya here, honours Morya Gosavi, who was a legendary saint. Morya Gosavi was a devout follower of Lord Ganesha. He was a prominent saint in the 14th century, born in Bidar, Karnataka, India. His teachings and practices are followed by many.

Ganpati Bappa Morya: Significance

Why do we chant Ganpati Bappa Morya? This chant calls Ganpati as bappa, and devotees seek help and protection from Lord Ganesha, just like a kid seeks from his father. Adding Morya in the chant is a way to seek blessings from the saint Morya Gosavi. By chanting, Ganpati Bappa Morya, the devotees seek blessings from the lord Ganesha as well as the saint Morya Gosavi.

Bappa signifies a loving relationship with the God, making him akin of a father.

This chant fills the devotees with a sense of calm, assurance and hope that everything will be good for them. Almost all the religious functions, auspicious ceremonies start with this chant in Maharashtra, making it a significant part of their life.

Such connection to the divine is a must have in today’s world which is full of stress, unnecessary competition, superficial show offs, materialism and loneliness. To make this connection, an easier way is to tell kids stories from Indian mythology like from Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagvad Gita etc. in an interactive and fun way. Sadly, time is turning into the most expensive luxury nowadays and parents are not much available to teach kids these stories and shlokas etc. The nuclear family set-up is making it harder to accomplish as grandparents are not there unlike the olden days when kids used to hear stories of all kinds from their grandparents. Bhagvad Gita classes can prove very helpful in such cases. These Bhagvat Gita classes turn student s towards the religion and spirituality in a fun and engaging way, without making it a burden or compulsion for kids. Do try our Bhagvad Gita classes once and book a demo today!

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Article Author

Srijita Banerjee

Srijita Banerjee is a freelance writer and an enthusiastic educator who loves connecting with children and helps them out to Groom Well. Srijita imbibes profound love for English and is a torch bearer. Strong believer and highly optimistic. Hardwork and dedication drives Srijita to work relentlessly towards best.

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