9 Interesting Yet Lesser-Known Facts About Lord Ganesha

9 Interesting Yet Lesser-Known Facts About Lord Ganesha

He is the God of good fortune. Lord Ganesha also blesses his devotees with prosperity and success.
He is also known as the remover of evils and obstacles. Hence is also referred to as Vignharta. He is the first deity to get worshipped before beginning anything.
There are several myths and anecdotes associated with Lord Ganesha. Many of them are well-known among their devotees. Yet, there are still many interesting facts about this elephant-headed God. Most people are unaware of it. Given below are nine such interesting facts about God.

Birth Of Lord Ganesha

It is a well-known fact that Lord Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. But, most people are unaware of the fact, that Goddess Parvati created Lord Ganesha.
She did it at the behest of her friends Jaya and Vijaya. They told Goddess Parvati about Nandi and other Ganas.
The Ganas followed the instructions of Lord Shiva only. Her friends said she should have someone who would do the same. So, Goddess Parvati created Lord Ganesha as her loyal Gana from the dirt of her body.

Broken Tusk

There are several stories surrounding the broken tusk of Lord Ganesha. An interesting fact about the same is that he broke it himself. Rishi Ved Vyasa approached Lord Ganesha to write the epic Mahabharta. He wanted him to write at high speed to match his recital speed.
Lord Ganesha accepted his request. But, he could not find a pen that would withstand the required speed. He tried different types of materials. But, Ganesha finally broke his tusk and used it to write the text.

Marital Status Of Ganesha

Most people in South India believe that Lord Ganesha remained unmarried. They believe he followed brahmacharya. But, in North India, people worship him as the husband of Goddesses Riddi and Siddi, the twin sisters.
They are the goddesses of prosperity and intellect. The North Indians also believe that Lord Ganesha has two sons. They are Shubh and Labh, the gods of auspiciousness and profit.

The Banana Bride

Based on Bengali mythological tales, once Lord Ganesha saw Goddess Durga devouring food. He asked her the reason for the same. So, Goddess Durga replied, “What if your wife does not give me enough food after you get married ?”.
Hearing this, Lord Ganesha went outside and cut down a banana tree. He presented it to his mother and said that it was her daughter-in-law. This legend gave birth to the tradition of a banana tree presence during Durga Puja. It gets wrapped in a saree and adorned with vermilion. Then it gets placed on the right side of Lord Ganesha as his wife during the Durga Puja celebrations.

Ganesha Cursed Moon

 Once, when Lord Ganesha was out for a ride at night on his mouse, he fell off his mount due to his weight. Chandra dev, the moon god, saw this incident and started laughing at the fat belly of Lord Ganesha.
Lord Ganesha heard his laugh, and it turned him angry. He then cursed Chandra dev. He said whoever looks towards him will get incriminated with the false acquisition. Upon hearing the curse, Chandradev realized his mistake and begged Ganesha for forgiveness.
Ganesha told him that he could not take back the curse. But he reduced its duration and made it effective only on Ganesh Chaturthi. It is the reason why people still avoid looking at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi.

Lord Ganesha And Lord Kartikeya

One day Goddess Parvati got a divine fruit that both Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya wanted to eat. The Goddess remained unable to take the call to decide who deserved the fruit more. So, she sought Lord Shiva’s help.
Lord Shiva organized a competition between Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya. He said, that whoever makes three rounds of the universe and returns first will get the fruit as the prize.
Lord Kartikeya rushed off to complete the journey on his mount, the peacock. But Lord Ganesha stayed back and started circling his parents. Lord Ganesha completed his three rounds. Then Lord Shiva asked him what he was doing.
Lord Ganesha replied by saying that for him, his parents were his universe. He had just completed three rounds of the universe. This impressed Lord Shiva enough to present the divine fruit to Lord Ganesha as the prize.

Ganesha Cursed Tulsi

As per Brahmavart Puran, one day Lord Ganesha was meditating on the banks of River Ganga. Devi Tulsi happened to be passing by that time. She got immediately attracted by the grace and glow of Lord Ganesha. Devi Tulsi put a proposal for marriage in front of him.
But, Lord Ganesha denied her request, and this angered Devi Tulsi. To avenge her insult, she cursed Lord Ganesha. She said he will get married to someone soon against his own will. It, in turn, angered Lord Ganesha.
He cursed Devi Tulsi and said that she would get married to a demon and will turn into a plant.
It made Devi Tulsi realize her mistake, and she sought the forgiveness of Lord Ganesha.
Although Lord Ganesha could not take back his curse but blessed Devi Tulsi. He said that she would get worshipped as an auspicious plant for generations to come.

Burning Kuber’s Ego

Once Lord Kubera, the god of wealth, became very egoistic about the fact that he was the wealthiest of all Gods. So he decided to organize a grand feast to show off his wealth and make them feel envious. He first visited Kailash to extend an invitation to Lord Shiva.
But the supreme deity sensing his wrong intent asked him to invite Ganesha instead. He warned him about the latter’s insatiable appetite.
But, Kubera, laughed off at the warning. He thought that it would not be difficult for him to feed the small child. On the appointed day Lord Ganesha went to his host’s home, where Kubera had prepared a lavish meal. But, Ganesha finished all the dishes in an instant and asked Kuber to give him more food.
Kubera got new dishes prepared in even larger quantities. Ganesha ate them all and asked for even more. The process continued until Kubera seen left with nothing to feed Lord Ganesha. Realizing his mistake, Kubera went to Kailash. He sought Lord Shiva’s forgiveness and help.
Lord Shiva gave him a bowl of kheer prepared by Goddess Parvati to feed to Lord Ganesha. When Lord Ganesha ate the kheer, his hunger got satiated, and Kuber’s ego got demolished.