Who is GANESHA?

The son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Ganesha has an elephant head with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied human body. With his wisdom, knowledge, education, and wealth, Lord Ganesha has been blessed with some special grants. He is worship first before other Gods.  He is generally worshiped alone during Ganesh Chaturthi. But during Durga puja, he worships Goddess Durga, Lord Shiva, Lord Kartik, Goddess Lakshmi, and Goddess Saraswati. He is the lord of success and destroyer of evil and obstacles. He is superior to all Gods.

1.Mystery behind his birth:

There are different stories behind his birth.

One story says Goddess Parvati kept Punyak fast for a baby boy. As a result, an incarnation of Lord Krishna was born as Lord Ganesha.

Another one says Parvati’s friend Jaya and Vijaya decided to make Lord Ganesha. There should be someone who follows her order like Nandi, and others follow the order of Lord Shiva only. Hence, Goddess Parvati made Ganesha from the dirt of her body when she was bathing and set him to guard her door until she finished. During that time, Lord Ganesha was not aware of Lord Shiva.

Another story says, Lord Shiva and the goddess Parvati made Ganesha on the request of Devtas to obstacle-creator in the path of obstacle-averter to help Devtas.

2.Mystery behind losing his head:

As per the Puran, we know the real reason behind losing his head.  Because of the fight between Lord Shiva and Ganesha.

But there are also two stories behind this.

The first one says, when all gods and goddesses were blessing Lord Ganesha, Shani Dev was standing with his head downward. When Goddess Parvati asked, he replied that he would lose his head in the future if he directly looked at Ganesha. But Parvati insisted Shani Dev to looked at Ganesh and blessed him. As a result, Ganesha loses his head.

Another one says, Once in anger, Lord Shiva attacked Surya Dev with his Trishul. Surya dev’s father got angry and cursed Lord Shiva for the way he harmed his son’s body; one day, his son will be cut from his body too.

3. Writing of Mahabharata:

It is Ganesha who wrote Mahabharata originally as it is recited to him by Veda Vyasa. This was done on one condition that  Vayas would not stop while reciting and Ganesha would not stop while writing; with this, Ganesha, write not only this but also understand every verse. And it took three years for both of them of continuous speaking and writing to complete Mahabharat.

4. why is he called “Eakdanta”?

There are also the different stories behind this.

One says once-great Parshuram went to Kailash to meet Lord Shiva when Lord Shiva was meditating. Lord Ganesha did not allow Parshuram to meet Shiva. In anger, he attacks Ganesha with his weapon ax, which was given to him by Lord Shiva himself to attack the little Ganesha. Ganesha didn’t want to waste the attack as it was his father’s weapon. So he took the attack in his teeth and lost one of his teeth. Since he is called “Eakdanta.”

Another one says, while writing Mahabharat, when the feather quill broke down between the story, to complete the rest of the story, Ganesha broke his one tusk and use it to write the rest of Mahabharata.

Another one says, while going to Devraj Indra’s feast, he was riding with his vehicle mouse, because the mouse could not carry all of his weight, he lost his balance and fell. The moon shining in the night sky laughed at him. In anger, Lord Ganesha broke off his left tusk and threw it to the moon. And that’s why he might be called “Eakdanta.”

5. The story of Ganesha and Tulsi:

Once Lord Ganesha was meditating, and Tulsi Devi was crossing through the bank of the river Ganga when she saw Ganesha, and his charm amazed her. Tulsi Devi approached Ganesha to marry her. Lord Ganesha rejects her by saying he will never get married in his life. In anger, Tulsi Devi cursed Ganesha to marry soon, and Ganesha cursed Tulsi Devi to be a plant forever.

6. Is Ganesha married or unmarried?

It is believed that Ganesha is Brahmacharya. But, it is generally believed that Lord Ganesha was married to the twin sisters, Riddhi and Siddhi, who bore two sons Shubha and Labha.

He also had three more wives. They are Tusthi, Pushti, and Shree.

He also had two grandchildren, named Amod and Pramod.

7. Mystery of Banana-Bride:

Once Goddess Durga was devouring food. Ganesha asked his mother about this, and Goddess Durga replied, “after you get married, what if your wife doesn’t give enough food to eat?”. Then Ganesh went out, cut a banana tree, and gave it to his mother by saying, “this is you daughter-in-law. “ Even today in West Bengal, during Durga puja Banana tree wrapped in a saree and adorned with vermillion and placed on the right side of Lord Ganesha as his wife.

8. When Ganesha got angry:

Once moon laughed at Ganesha’s fat belly. He got angry and cursed the moon to be falsely blamed on Vinayagar Chaturthi, whoever will look at the moon. That’s why people don’t look at the moon during Ganesh Chaturthi.

9. Muladhara Chakra:

The Muladhara chakra of a human body is also known as Ganesha.

10. Worship in other countries:

Lord Ganesha is also worship in different countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Afganistan, Nepal, and china.