The Special Grants Of Ganesha
Lord Ganesha with His wisdom and knowledge has been blessed with some special grants which make him one of the eminent Hindu Gods. He is worshipped first before other Gods in every holy procession. Thus, Ganesh is generally worshipped alone during Ganesh Chaturthi pooja. But, during Durga puja, He is worshipped along with his family -Goddess Durga, Lord Shiva, Lord Kartik, Goddess Laxmi, and Goddess Saraswati. Devotees seek his blessings as he grants them success, happiness, and prosperity.
Why Is He Called Ekdanta?
You all know the history behind His elephant head but do you know the history behind His one-tooth? Well, according to Brahmavavart Purana, the great sage Parshurama once went to the Kailash mountain to visit Shiva when He was meditating. So, Lord Ganesha didn’t allow Parshuram to meet Shiva. This angered Parshuram and He used his axe which was granted to Him by Shiva himself to attack the little Ganesha. To respect the power of the weapon given by his father, Ganesha took the attack on one of His teeth and since then He is called Ekdanta.
Who Penned Down The Mahabharata?
It is believed that Lord Ganesha is the original writer of the epic Mahabharata. The great sage Vyasa found Lord Ganesha worthy of understanding the Mahabharata. Thus, He decided to recite the epic Mahabharata to Ganesha and asked Him to write it without any interruption. One of the stories says that Ganesha broke his tusk and used it to write the rest of Mahabharata when the feather quill broke down in between.
Is Ganesha Married Or Unmarried?
While in South India, it is believed that Ganesha is a Brahmacharya, it is generally believed that Lord Ganesha was married to the twin sisters Riddhi (Goddess of prosperity) and Siddhi ( Goddess of Intellect) who bore Him two sons Shubha (auspiciousness) and Labha (Profit).
The Story Of Ganesha And Tulsi
Brahmavavart Puran says, Tulsi Devi was amazed by the charm of Lord Ganesha when she was crossing through the banks of river Ganga where Lord Ganesha was meditating. Tulsi Devi went ahead to ask Ganesha to marry her but Ganesha replied that He will never get married in His life. This angered Tulsi and she cursed Ganesha that He will be married soon and Ganesha cursed Tulsi her to be a plant forever.
The Mystery Behind His Birth
According to Puranas, Goddess Parvati kept a Punyak fast and wished for a baby boy. It is believed that as a result of this fast, an incarnation of Lord Krishna was born to Parvati as Lord Ganesha. Another story says that Parvati created Ganesha from the dirt of her body as she wanted someone loyal to her as Nandi was to Lord Shiva.
When Ganesha Got Angry
Well, you might not believe that Lord Ganesha can actually get angry but once the moon laughed at Ganesha’s fat belly. As a result, Ganesha cursed the moon and said that on Vinayagar Chaturthi, whoever will look at the moon, he would be falsely blamed. That’s why people believe in not looking at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi.
The Tale Of Banana-Bride
Well, this tale is believed in West Bengal and the tale says that once Goddess Durga was devouring food. Ganesha asked his mother about this plight. To this, Goddess Durga replied; “What if your wife does not give enough food to eat after you get married?”. Then, Ganesha went to cut a Banana tree and gave it to his mother saying; “This is your daughter-in-law”. So, even today during Durga puja, Banana tree wrapped in a saree and adorned with vermilion is placed on the right side of Lord Ganesha as his wife.
His Footprints In Other Religions
Lord Ganesha is not only worshipped by Hindus but by Buddhists too. In Buddhism, Ganesha is referred to as Vinayaka and is worshiped in countries like Tibet, China, and Japan. His wisdom, knowledge, and ideologies are revered by devotees from everywhere.
These were some of the interesting facts about lord Ganesha which will make you love him even more. So, while you send your loved one's Ganesh Chaturthi wishes, don’t forget to enlighten them with these interesting facts too.
