Amazing Facts About Lord Ganesha That You May Not Know

A symbol of wisdom and luck, Lord Ganesha is one of the most worshipped Gods in Hinduism. The son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, with the face of an elephant and a huge pot-bellied body of a human, Lord Ganesha is regarded as the destroyer of obstacles. In fact, any festive occasion or new beginning for a Hindu almost always begins with worshipping Lord Ganesha. If you are opening a new office, or getting into a new home, or for any other new beginning that marks importance in your life, make sure to have a Ganpati Puja done by the most professional and experienced Pujaris at MakeMyPuja.

Moreover, it is the time of the year when everyone is celebrating the auspicious Ganesh festival with immense zeal and joy. As India celebrates this auspicious festival, let us take a look at some interesting yet lesser known facts about Lord Ganesha. We all know who Ganpati Bappa is and worship him with lots of love and faith but, how much do you know about him? Read on to find out!

How was Lord Ganesha born?

Goddess Parvati once went to visit her husband, Lord Shiva, who was deeply meditating. Since he did not want to be disturbed by any reason whatsoever, he had his head attendant, Nandi, to guard and keep away anyone who wanted to visit him. Nandi being very loyal to Lord Shiva did not even let Goddess Parvati meet him. This hurt her feelings and had her feeling very lonely, being ignored by her husband. So, she decided to have someone who would be by her side anytime she needed someone. This is why, there and then, she collected some dirt from her body and moulded the most handsome young boy she could imagine, and breathed life into him to be her beloved son. This is how Lord Ganesha was born!

Why does Lord Ganesha have a broken tusk?

Have you realized that Lord Ganesha ha one full and one broken tusk? And, do you why? This is another instance when Lord Shiva was meditating. This was when a family friend Parashurama had come to visit. Lord Ganesha who was guarding his father did not let him in. Parashurama lost his temper and threw an axe at Ganesha, which broke his tusk!

Why do we find the idol of Lord Ganesha at the entrance of every temple?

This is because it was a boon granted to him that he would be more revered and worshipped than his parents, and he would be the first God to be acknowledged when entering a temple.

What is the original colour of Lord Ganesha’s body?

According to Shiva Maha Puran, Lord Ganesha is actually green and red in colour.

Who began the system of Sarvajanik Ganesh celebration?

In 1893, it was revolutionary freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Lokmanya Tilak who prompted every Indian to come together to celebrate the festival of Lord Ganesha. The main aim behind this was to bring together the sects of Brahmins and non-Brahmins to instill the feeling of unity amongst every Indian so that they could stand united against the Britishers.

How many idols of Lord Ganesha are made and brought home every year?

He largest processions and worships seen are in Maharashtra, mainly Mumbai and Pune. Apart from them, the Pen district also has 500 workshops and 800 artisans who make more than 7 lakh idols every year! Last year, 10,000 idols were seen in the pandals of Mumbai alone. As per a survey, there were 1,80,650 idols brought home last year.

Amazing facts, isn’t it? So now, after knowing these facts, you will better worship Lord Ganesha for sure. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! Ganpati Bappa Morya!

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Do You Know About The Incarnations And Names Of Lord Ganesha?

Lord Ganesha as we all know is the God of wisdom and the destroyer of pain. Ganesha is known by a number of names and is known to have multiple incarnations, each one having its own significance. What we all have seen is only one image of him with the ‘mushak’ as his vehicle and modaks and ladoos as the prasad. Every Yuga – Satyuga, Tretayuga and Dwaparyuga– has seen its own different incarnation of Lord Ganesha. We as devotees of this supreme power ought to know each one of this to understand the ultimate strength of Lord Ganesha. Let us learn about every individual incarnation and vaahan, and all the names of Lord Ganesha.

Incarnations and vaahans of Lord Ganesha

Satyuga

In the Satyuga, Lord Ganesha was born to sage Kashyab and wife Aditi, and was known as ‘Mahotkata’ or ‘Vakartunda’, which symbolized the destroyer of jealousy by killing two demon brothers – Narantak and Devantak. In this incarnation, he drove on a lion’s back.

Tretayuga

In Tretayuga, he was known as ‘Mayureshwara’ or ‘Vikanta’, and was born primarily to kill the demon of desire – Kamasura. In this incarnation, he is seen mounted on a peacock, which he gives away to his brother Kartik, who rides it as his vehicle thereon.

Dwaparyuga

The most common incarnation that we all know about was in the Dwaparyuga, when he was known as ‘Gajanana’ or ‘Ekdanta’. Here, he is seen in his most fierce self with red complexion, born to kill the demon Sindhura. This is the incarnation where he is seen to drive the vahana of the mouse.

Names of Lord Ganesha

According to the Ganesha Purana, Lord Ganesha has been given 108 names, depending on the various characteristics he possesses. However, out of these 108 names, there are 14 popular names he is known by across the country, namely –

·        Ekdanta, the one-tusked lord.

·        Lambodara, lord with huge-belly.

·        Gajanana, the elephant faced lord.

·        Vakratundya, the lord with curved trunk.

·        Vighananasaka, the destroyer of all obstacles and evils.

·        Vighanraja, the lord king of obstacles.

·        Bhalachandra, the lord who wears crescent moon on his head.

·        Gajakarna, the elephant-eared lord.

·        Vikata, the ferocious and dreadful God.

·        Dhumraketu, the lord of smoky colour.

·        Ganadhyakshya, the minister of Gana.

·        Sumukha, the graceful lord.

·        Kapila, God with tawny colour.

·        Ganadhipa, the protector of Gana.

Now, you know a lot about Lord Ganesha that you may have not known much about other than him being the divine god of wellness, knowledge, prosperity and unity, and riding a mushak, and loving modaks. So, whatever you call him – Gajanana, Ekdanta, Lambodara or by any other name – it’s the time when we all start worshipping him. It’s Ganesh Chaturthi on the 5^th of September this year. Make sure you perform the right rituals in your home while bringing in the idol of Lord Ganesha this Monday! Book the professional and experienced Pandits at MakeMyPuja so that you can have your puja done in the right manner, without compromising on the quality, while keeping it pocket-friendly.

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