Facts about Lord Ganesha that very few people know

Lord Ganesha, the God of wisdom and knowledge, and the remover of all obstacles, is someone people love, adore, bring home with joy, and send back with tears. Through Ganesh Chaturthi and Ganesh Visarjan, people experience joy, love, and prosperity and Lord Ganesha blesses their life with the best possible means.
Here we mention some things about the beloved Lord Ganesha that very few people are aware of.

A fact about Lord Ganesha that very few people know is that he wrote the Mahabharat. Some would say, well, didn't Ved Vyasa write it? Yes, he did, but he narrated it to Lord Ganesha, who then wrote it for others to read. It is believed that Lord Brahma suggested that Vyasa should take Lord Ganesha’s help, as he was both intelligent and full of wisdom. Ganesha was known for his intelligence and wisdom.

And so, Lord Ganesha wrote down the whole Mahabharata while Ved Vyasa narrated the epic without taking a pause.

Often, in idols and pictures, we see that Lord Ganesha has a broken tusk. And the legend behind this is also pretty unknown.
And so, another fact about Lord Ganesha is related to his trunk and it is said that while he was writing the Mahabharat, being dictated by Ved Vyasa, his writing tool broke. And because Ved Vyasa was supposed to narrate the whole epic without a pause, Ganesha too could not pause to replace his pen. To maintain the speed and writing, it is said that Lord Ganesha broke one of his tusk from the pointed ends and continued to write the Mahabharata.

While there are many different arguments and sides to this claim, some scholars and elders believe that Lord Ganesha first emerged as a tribal God where he found mention in totems, protective symbols, and the like.
It is said that earlier Lord Ganesha was the protector and guide of the tribes and was worshipped before they embarked on new journeys or threaded into the forests. And as he was asked to remove obstacles from their path, he became the ‘Vighnaharta’.

Sibling fights and arguments are commonplace and happen all the time. But, did you know that even the Gods are not saved from this love-hate relationship?

It is believed that once there was a competition between Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya about who was better than the other, and as the argument progressed Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati intervened and asked them to circle the world seven times. Whoever did it the fastest, would win!

And so, Kartikeya quickly got on his peacock and started circling the physical world. And Lord Ganesha, being full of wit and wisdom, quickly circled seven times around his parents, making them his whole world.

Another fact about Lord Ganesha comes in the form of the argument that he was not elephant-headed, but rather had the head of one of Shiva’s Ganas (the people who roamed with him).
According to a blog by Sadhguru, Lord Ganesha is the ‘Ganpati’ not a ‘Gajapati’ and Lord Shiva cut off the head of his head Gana and placed it on Lord Ganesha’s head after which he became the ‘Ganapati’ or head of Ganas.

Tulsi, the sacred plant that Hindus worship with all their heart and love, is a symbol of health, prosperity, and long life. And while the story of Lord Shiva being cursed by Mata Tulsi is well-known, not many know that Maa Tulsi also cursed Lord Ganesha!
It is believed that once when Maa Tulsi saw Ganesha meditating on the banks of the Ganga, she was drawn to him and proposed marriage to him. But as Ganesha was busy with his meditation, he declined her request and said that he would stay unmarried forever. Maa Tulsi was not happy with the rejection, and cursed Ganesha that he will get married very soon!