LORD GANESHA: REMOVER OF OBSTACLES
Ganesh Chaturthi is fondly celebrated with much fervour and enthusiasm across India. Giant Ganesha idols are crafted and beautiful pandals are decorated to celebrate this 10- day long festival.
In ancient legends, Lord Ganesha is considered the lord of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles. According to the legend, during god Vishnu’s wedding with goddess Lakshmi, the whole swarglok was bustling with eagerness and enthusiasm. Lord Ganesha was also excited to attend god Vishnu’s wedding. The other gods felt that Ganesha looked ugly and ate too much and so did not want him to join in the wedding festivities. They requested god Vishnu to stall him and not take him with the wedding procession. Vishnu acceded with the other gods and requested Ganesha to stay back and guard swarglok. When Narad Muni saw Ganesha alone at swarglok, he revealed to him the actual reason for god Vishnu not taking him to the wedding. Hearing this Ganesha was displeased, he sent his mice and asked them to dig under the road and make it hollow on the way from where the marriage procession was going to pass. As soon as Vishnu’s chariot rolled out on the road, it collapsed and the chariot’s wheel sank in the ground. The entire wedding procession came to an abrupt halt. None of the gods were able to pull out the wheel, so they asked for help from a farmer who was passing by. He came and shouted Jai Ganesha and to everyone’s surprise the wheel came out! The gods questioned the farmer about the reason he prayed to Lord Ganesha; the farmer told them that Ganesha is the Lord of beginnings who removes all obstacles. On hearing this, the other gods were ashamed, they went back to Lord Ganesha, apologised for their behaviour and requested him to join the wedding.
My dear readers, I wish that on this Ganesh Chaturthi that falls on September 13, Lord Ganesha removes all hurdles from your life, blesses you with new beginnings and brings success and good luck in all endeavours.
“Lord Ganesh of curved elephant trunk and huge body, Whose brilliance is equal to billions of suns in intensity, Always removes all obstacles from my endeavours truly, I respectfully pray to him with all my revered sincerity.” — Munindra Misra, Chants of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in English Rhyme