Ganesh Chaturthi story :it is celebrated on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapad.The legend behind the birth of Ganesha is perhaps the most fascinating in Indian mythology.
It is said that Goddess Parvati, before taking an elaborate bath, wanted someone to stand guard at the door.
Not finding anyone, she created the idol of a child from the sandalwood paste that she had applied on herself, and breathed life into it. She told the boy she had created not to let anyone in, and went to have her bath. When her husband, Lord Shiva came home, the child could not recognise him and refused to let him in. Shiva was furious, and severed the head of the child.
When she learnt that the child she had created was dead, Parvati was distraught and asked Shiva to revive him immediately. Shiva ordered his lieutenants to get the head of any creature that was sleeping with its head facing north. The servants returned with the head of an elephant. Shiva joined the elephant's head to the boy's body, and Parvati's child lived again.
The legend also says that Shiva made the boy the leader of his armies. Hence, the name Ganesha, meaning 'god of the army'.
Lord Ganesha is the god of learning, and bestows both worldly and spiritual success. He is Vighnaharta, or 'remover of obstacles'. Invariably, his blessings are sought before beginning any new venture. In fact, the first prayer is always to Ganesha even on a day sacred to other gods.
It is considered inauspicious to look at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi. The story goes that the Moon laughed at Ganesha's gait. The humiliated Ganesha cursed it, saying that anyone who watched it on that day (chaturthi, or the fourth day of the moon) would face a false accusation.
ceremony is rounded off with people tucking in toothsome modaks, in keeping with Ganesha's style. Hindu mythology has a story to tell even about Ganesha's modaks. It is said that Ganesha loved modaks and simply could not stop himself from eating them. In fact he devoured them by the hundreds. Amused by Ganesha's obsession with modaks, once the beautiful moon made fun of the chubby God. Ganesha was so furious with the moon that he cursed him, saying that his beauty would never remain constant. Since that day, way back in time, the moon reveals itself in all its magnificence only once in 28 days
Only a few people observe a fast on this festival as, for the most part, the general feeling is that Ganesha's birthday should be an occasion for pigging out and not for fasting. The few who do keep a fast are allowed to eat various sweets like til ka ladoo (a round sweetmeat made of sesame, flour and sugar), gajak, rewari (sweets made of jaggery and nuts), along with tea and coffee
Answered by Jitendra
at
2:31 AM on October 05, 2008
