Vinayaka Chathurthi / Ganesha Chathurthi is an auspicious festival celebrated across all corners of India as well as many foreign countries. Apart from enjoying modakam (sweet and savoury rice balls) and reciting Ganesha Slokas, we should also read his stories for getting his blessings.
Here are a few interesting tidbits about Lord Ganesha:
Lord Ganesha for all new beginnings
It is a popular practice of worshipping Lord Ganesha before starting any work. When we offer our prayers to Lord Ganesha, we tend to work with confidence. We will find that our determination towards achieving our goals is elevated. So, let’s recite this popular sloka every day.
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ ।
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥
Vakratunda Mahaakaaya Sooryakoti Samaprabha |
Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarvakaaryeshu Sarvadaa ||
O, Lord Ganesha with a curved trunk and massive body, the one whose splendor is equal to millions of Suns, please bless me so that I do not face any obstacles in my endeavors.
Lord Ganesha and the birth of Kaveri River
Image from https://www.hindu-blog.com/
Once there was a severe drought in South India. In order to bring water to the south, Sage Agastya worshipped Lord Shiva. He obtained water (river Ganga) in his kamandalam (vessel) and came down to south India. Then, he reached Kodagu hills and started meditating to identify the right spot. Lord Ganesh disguised himself as a crow and pushed the vessel down to show the right spot for water to flow. Thus, the spot is known as Talakaveri –the birthplace of the Kaveri river.
Mundkatiya Temple
Temple where Ganesha is worshipped without Head – In the valley of Kedarnath is the temple called Mundkatiya. In this unique temple, Lord Ganesha is worshipped without a head. This is the place where Lord Shiva severed the head of Ganesha. And, at the request of Parvathi Devi, Lord Ganesha received the head of an elephant at this place.
Ganpati Bappa Morya
Source: http://www.chinchwaddeosthan.org/
Devotees especially in Maharashtra chant Ganapati Bappa Morya to praise Lord Ganesha.
The word Morya refers to Saint Morya Gosavi – A famous devotee of Lord Ganesha of the 14th-15th century who lived in Pune. He is considered the most important saint of the Gaanapatya sect– the Hindu sect centred on Ganesha worship. Also, he built the Mayureshwar temple at Morgaon, near Pune. Lord Ganesha, pleased with Morya Gosavi’s penance, blessed him with his appearance and offered to give him any boon. Saint Morya merely wished his name to be associated with Lord Ganesha’s name. This resulted in the energetic phrase ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya‘!
One more article on Lord Ganesha
Ganesha Chaturthi is a joyous occasion for kids when they celebrate the birthday of their very first superhero with Modak (‘Kozukkattai’ in Tamil).
Let us all make our kids chant these simple slokas in Sanskrit, Tamil and English on this auspicious day.
My quest to learn more about our culture and history is never-ending. Being a student of Sri Ramakrishna mission, Sri Ahobila Math school and Vivekananda College, what else can you expect other than the influence of our rich Indian culture and tradition? Through this website my humble attempt is to inculcate the highest knowledge of our culture to young minds in simple words.
