HINDU FASTS & FESTIVALS : 16-7.

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16. GANESH CHATURTHI -7.

He is the Lord of Ganas or groups, for instance groups of elements, groups of senses,

He is the head of the followers of Shiva or the celestial servants of Lord Shiva.



The Vaishnavas also worship Lord Ganesha. They have given Him the name of Tumbikkai Alwar which means the divinity with the proboscis (the elephant’s trunk).


Lord Ganesha’s two powers are the Kundalini and the Vallabha or power of love.


He is very fond of sweet pudding or balls of rice flour with a sweet core.

On one of His birthdays He was going around house to house accepting the offerings of sweet puddings.

Having eaten a good number of these, He set out moving on His mouse at night.

Suddenly the mouse stumbled—it had seen a snake and became frightened—with the result that Ganesha fell down.

His stomach burst open and all the sweet puddings came out.

But Ganesha stuffed them back into His stomach and, catching hold of the snake, tied it around His belly.

Swami Sivananda
 To be continued  ...



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