4 Stories about Lord Ganesha you Probably didn't know about..

Fact 3#

4 stories about Lord Ganesha you probably didn't know....

Get ready for Ganesh Chaturthi with these legends about the most auspicious Hindu god.

Think anything auspicious in the Hindu context and Ganesha is one of the default visions. Why? Because as legend has it, Ganesha was to be the first lord of worship during any religious procession or celebration.

That being said, we know how the Ganesh Chaturthi fever is already taking over our lives. But as we get ready to gorge on modaks and chant aartis dedicated to the destroyer of obstacles, here are a few things about the cutest lord of them all you probably didn't know:

1. The elephant head

It's said that Lord Ganesha's mother, Goddess Parvati, carved an idol of a boy out of turmeric powder and breathed life into it, unbeknownst to her husband, Lord Shiva.

So, when Ganesha denied Lord Shiva entry into his abode--because Goddess Parvati was bathing inside--Shiva decapitated Ganesha's head in anger. According to legend, an elephant was the first animal that Lord Brahma later found when he went out to look for one (to replace Ganesha's head).

2. Writing the Mahabhrata

It's said that Ganesha wrote the Mahabharata, as it was recited to him by sage Vyasa (Veda Vyasa). According to Lifehacker, this was done on the condition that Vyasa would not stop while reciting the epic and that Ganesha would not stop while writing, besides the condition that Ganesha would not merely write it, but also understand every verse of it. Popular legends say that it took both of them three years of continuous speaking and writing to complete the epic.

3. The half-tusk

If you've ever noticed the idol of Lord Ganesha carefully, you'd have noticed the broken tusk. As legend goes, when Ganesha was writing the Mahabharata, the feather he was writing with broke. So, to stick to the condition of writing continuously, Ganesha broke his tusk and wrote with it.

Some are also of the belief that Lord Parashurama cut off one of Ganesha's tusks because he didn't allow him to enter the Shiva abode and meet Lord Shiva, who was busy praying, according to Lifehacker.

4. Mouse as his vehicle

Now, there are two theories to this:

First, in ancient times, when agriculture was the primary mode of sustenance, rodents were one of the biggest obstacles to prosperity--as they are for farmers even today. Destroying crops, eating stored grains are all in a day's work for a rodent. Lord Ganesha, in having a mouse/rat as his vehicle, is symbolically shown to have conquered this pest, thus staying true to his name and work as the destroyer of obstacles, according to biodiversity of India.

Second, Lord Ganesha was able to reach all the nooks and crannies of the world--and do his duty as the destroyer of obstacles--because his vehicle was a mouse--because mice/rats can slither through tiny holes and narrow pathways.

Tip: Ganesha (/ɡəˈneɪʃə/; Sanskrit: गणेश, Gaṇeśa;  listen (help·info)), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Binayak, is one of the best-known and most worshiped deities in the Hindu pantheon.^[4] His image is found throughout India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Nepal.^[5] Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations.^[6] Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains and Buddhists.^[7]

Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify.^[8] Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles,^[9] the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom.^[10] As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rites and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions.^[11][2] Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.

Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in the 4th and 5th centuries AD, during the Gupta period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors.^[12] He was formally included among the five primary deities of Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the 9th century. A sect of devotees called the Ganapatya arose, who identified Ganesha as the supreme deity.^[13] The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa. Brahma Purana and Brahmanda Purana are other two Puranic genre encyclopedic texts that deal with Ganesha.