Ganesh Chaturthi will be observed on 14^th September this year, marking the beginning of one of India’s most beloved festivals celebrating Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the deity of new beginnings. It is a festival celebrated with much pomp and zeal across the nation. Lord Ganesha is invoked before commencing anything significant and it is for this reason that he is called the ‘Lord of Beginnings’. He is also known as Vighnaharta or remover of obstacles.

Lord Ganesha is not only worshiped by Hindus, but, also by Buddhists. In Buddhism, Ganesha is referred to as Vinayaka (Master or Leader) and is worshiped in countries like Tibet, China, and Japan. His wisdom, knowledge, and ideologies are revered by devotees all over the world.

Zoroastrians are worshippers of Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom, and in that same spirit of wisdom, Zoroastrians also bow with respect and reverence to all that Ganesha embodies in terms of wisdom and removing obstacles! The concept of Vighnaharta or remover of obstacles resonates with the Zoroastrian concept of Verethragna or victorious (in overcoming difficulties, foes or enemies).

Evolution From Private To Public Celebration

Prior to 1893, families would celebrate Ganeshotsav at home. The oldest surviving Sarvajanik Ganpati mandal in Mumbai is the Shri Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Sanstha at Keshavji Naik Chawl, Girgaon (1893). Interestingly, large public Ganeshotsav celebrations have a revolutionary connection with India’s freedom movement. The doyen of Swarajya, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, is credited with popularising public worship of Shri Ganeshji on Ganesh Chaturthi. Tilak leveraged this festival to garner public support for the freedom struggle, and more importantly, to obtain spiritual strength that the Swaraj movement required. He is credited to have adopted the slogan: “Swaraj (self-rule) is my birthright and I shall have it.

Lokmanya Tilak transformed Ganesh Chaturthi from a private, one-day celebration into a ten-day community festival that today generates enormous economic activity. In Maharashtra alone, the festival reportedly creates business turnover of up to ₹50,000 crore, with broader national estimates reaching ₹1 lakh crore. While critics cite excessive spending and temporary productivity losses, economists recognise festivals as powerful drivers of trade, tourism and employment. Across economies, festive seasons often anchor the retail calendar, with some industries earning 30 to 40 per cent of annual revenues during major celebrations. This spending supports small businesses, generates employment and contributes to public revenues through increased transactions.

Avesta & Veda Cohesion

Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s 1903 book, ‘The Arctic Home in the Vedas’, significantly influenced contemporary ideas on Indo-European origins, including Zoroastrian scholarship, though its conclusions remain disputed. Drawing upon astronomical and environmental references in the Rigveda, Avesta and other ancient Indo-Iranian texts, Tilak proposed that the early Vedic Aryans originated in Arctic regions, or lands near the Arctic Circle, during an earlier climatic period, interpreting ancient descriptions as geographical clues to their original homeland.

Tilak did not rely only on the Veda. He also examined the Avesta, especially the Vendidad (Videvdad), and saw parallels between Iranian and Indian traditions. One of his important pieces of evidence was Yima’s Vara in the Vendidad where Ahura Mazda forewarns Yima of a terrible winter (ice age) and instructs him to construct a protected enclosure or Vara to preserve the best among human beings, animals, birds and plants.

Tilak interpreted this as potentially reflecting memories of an ancient northern climatic catastrophe. He skilfully compared Iranian and Vedic traditions concerning, prolonged winter, darkness and light, astronomical observations, seasonal cycles, and the movement of people southward. He believed that Indo-Iranian traditions contained a common memory of a northern homeland.

One of Tilak’s most interesting comparisons is between the Vedic Indra–Vṛtra myth and the Avesta Tishtrya–Apaosha story. Tilak argues that the bringer of rain Tishtrya’s battle with Apaosha, the demon of draught in the Avesta is essentially a counterpart or survival of Indra’s battle with Vṛtra.

Most contemporary scholars reject the Arctic as the original Vedic homeland, though Tilak’s hypothesis remains historically significant. His ambitious comparative study of the Rigveda and Avesta drew on astronomical, climatic and textual evidence, offering original interpretations while importantly recognising the deep shared heritage connecting the ancient Vedic and Avestan traditions.

The Eight Forms of Ganesha

Ganesha has eight forms or incarnations, with different attributes, each symbolizing certain abstract qualities:

Vakratunda (meaning the twisted trunk): The purpose of this incarnation was to destroy the demon, Matsaryasura, representing envy in humans. Hence, this form celebrates Ganesha’s triumph over envy. (Mount Form: Lion).

Ekadanta (single tusk) was born to kill the demon Madasura, represents intemperance among humans due to power and other vices. Ekadanta triumphs over intoxication emanating from power and pelf in humans. (Mount Form: Mouse).

Mahodara (big belly) killed the demon of delusion or Mohasura, and also destroys ignorance and negative thoughts. (Mount Form: Mouse).

Gajanana (elephant faced) is said to have slain the demon of greed. (Mount Form: Mouse).

Lambodara (pot-bellied) destroys Krodha or the demon of anger. (Mount Form: Mouse).

Vikata (means unusual shaped) destroys the demon of lust. (Mount Form: Peacock).

Vighnaraja (Remover of all obstacles) destroyed Mama or the demon of ego. (Mount Form: Serpent or Sesha)

Dhumravarna (smoke coloured) destroyed the demon of arrogance, Abhimanasura. (Mount Form: Mouse)

Ten Forms of Verethragna (Bahram Yazata) 

What Vighnaharta Ganesha is to devout Hindus, Verethragna Bahram Yazata is to devout Zoroastrians. The Behram Yasht enumerates ten forms in which the divinity (Bahram Yazata) appears: As a Swift Wind; an Armed Warrior and as an Adolescent Youth. In the remaining seven forms, He appears as a Bull with horns of gold, a white Horse with ears and a muzzle of gold, a Camel, a Boar, a Bird of prey, a Ram and a Wild Goat.

These forms are symbolic attributes of Bahram Yazata, who can be swift and cleansing as the wind, powerful and valiant as a warrior, energetic like a youth, strong as a bull etc. It is said that Verethragna Bahram Yazata comes to the aid of a devotee in any one or more of these ten forms and removes obstacles.

Vighnaharta And Verethragna Both Bestow Victory And Success

Just like Ganesha, Bahram Yazata presides over success, victory and triumph, over external foes, as also over internal weaknesses and vices. Both bestow courage and confidence to persons embarking on any new journey or initiative. Also, Bahram Yazata is also known by his appellations e.g. Fattehmand, Firuzgar and Dushman Zadaar, meaning victorious and destroyer of enemies.

The name Bahram comes from the Avestan term Verethraghna which means success or victory. Avesta Verethraghna is similar to the Sanskrit term Shatrughna or destroyer of enemies. Just as Ganesha is Vighna-harta or destroyer of obstacles, so is Bahram Yazata Dushman Zadaar. Bahram Yazad is also invoked as Baeshazem or healer.

Finally, just as Ganesh or Ganesha is a very popular name among Indian boys, Bahram is a very popular name among Iranian boys. During the Sasanian Empire, there were at least five emperors with the name Bahram.