Vinayaka Chaviti (Ganesh Chaturthi) - Birth of Ganesh

Send Vinayaka Chaviti Greetings

As per mythology, a demon king, Asurendra was defeated by Indra (the Lord of the heaven) and requested his teacher Sukracharya to show him how he could avenge his defeat. Sukracharya told him that one who is born to the sage Matanga would be able to defeat Indra. The demon king sends his wife to seduce sage Matanga through whom she should bear a child. Sage Matanga happens to see two elephants making love which inspires in him sexual desire and Asurendra's wife consents to fulfil his desire. As per the myth, the sage transforms himself and the demon king's wife as elephants while making love. Hence the son born to Asurendra's wife had a head like that of an elephant and is called Gajamukhasura (the demon with an elephant’s face).This Gajamukhasura makes great penance to please Lord Shiva, who agrees to live in the womb of Gajamukhasura. Empowered by the powers given to him by Lord Shiva, the Gajamukhasura wages battle against Indra and defeats him.

Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva wonders where her husband went leaving her alone and seeks the help of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu with his divine vision comes to know that Shiva is living in the body of the demon king. Vishnu, in the garb of a Gangireddula vadu (a folk entertainer who goes around with a bull (eddu), making it dance to the tune of the pipe he plays) takes along with him the Nandi (the divine bull which is the carrier of Shiva) and goes to the court of the Gajamukhasura. There he makes the Nandi dance to entertain the king. Not knowing that it was Vishnu, the demon king promises to fulfil whatever wish he makes. When Lord Vishnu asks him to give back Shiva it dawns on the demon king that the entertainer is none other than Vishnu.

Having agreed to fulfil their wish Gajamukhasura prepares himself for his imminent death. He prays to lord Shiva to grant him a boon where his head would be worshipped by all. He also wishes that his skin should be worn by Shiva. Shiva agrees to this and then, as desired by Vishnu, the divine bull Nandi tears open the womb of Gajamukhasura with his horns and releases Shiva.

Goddess Parvati comes to know of this at Kailash and awaits the return of her husband.

Parvati makes a doll with nulugu (a mixture of flours, used as part of the traditional bathing process). She likes it so much that she gives it life and treats the boy as her son. She keeps the boy as a guard to their house. When Shiva returned, the boy stopped his entry enraging Shiva, who in a fit of anger, beheads the boy with his trishool.

Later Shiava comes to know about the boy and laments very much and promises the grieving mother, that he would bring back the boy to life. He brings the head of Gajamukhasura and fixes it to the beheaded body of the boy and restores life in him. For this reason that boy is named as Gajanana and became the son of Shiva and Parvati. Parvati and Shiva gave him Anindya, a mouse, as a carrier.

Kumara Swamy was born later to Shiva and Parvati.