The common legend I have been aware that Lord Ganesha broke hos tusk to write the Mahabharata at the bidding of Veda Vyasa.
There is another legend in Mudugala Purana.
Parashuarama is a Chiranjeevi, who lives forever, went to meet Lord Shiva , His Teacher in the Himalayas and was blocked by Ganesha who was guarding Kailasa.
Angry Parsashurama threw his axe at Ganapati and it broke His left Tusk.
Ganesha accepted this without making effort to stop it as the Axe was given to Parashurama by His father Shiva .
Furious Parvati, hurt at Ganesha being hurt,declared she would cut off the arms of Parashurama.
She took the form of Durga, becoming omnipotent, but at the last moment, Shiva was able to pacify her by making her see the avatar as her own son.
Ganesha without one tusk is considered as His second avatar by some.
Ganesha Gayatri gives importance to this aspect of single Tusk
‘Ekadanthaaya Vidhmahe Vakra Dhundaaya Dheemahi,
Thanno Danthi Prachothayaath’
Source.Mudugala Purana,which is classified as a Upapurana.
Intriguing because of their consistency and though they may be appear to contradict each other, on critical examination they are in agreement.
Be it the route taken by Lord Rama,the travels of Arjuna,Adi Shankaracharya………..
Read my posts on these.
And the architectural marvels, they are too many.
Please check my posts filed under Hinduism.
Sun’s rays falling on images on specific days,springs from unexpected places…..
One such is the temple dedicated Lord Ganesha at Kurudumale near Mulbagal.
Kolar district of Karnataka state, India,it is just 8km away from the Mulabagal town. is known for its Ganesha temple built by a Vijayanagara kings. This place was believed to be the place where Devas would descend from the heavens for helping recreation on earth. The ganesha temple is considered to be very powerful.
Note that the Devas do not create but assist Brahma in creation of the Universe.
This is in agreement with the Puarans.
Another temple located nearby is built without foundation, dedicated to Someshwara,.
The interesting thing about this temple is that it is built of a rock without any foundations. Another interesting thing is the architectural style of the temple; this temple is considered to be older than the Ganesha temple and was built during the Cholas period. Half of the temple has different style of carving, believed to have been done by artist Jakanachari and the other half is believed to have been carved by his son Dankanachari. The part of the temple supposedly built by Dankana’s has statues and carvings which are more intricate and sophisticated. Ganesha temple in Kurudumale, situated on the same road as that of Someshwara temple, but here a huge Ganesha idol is being worshipped from ages unknown. It is said that the Ganesha statue was being worshipped in an open field, until Krishnadevaraya built a temple around it. Ganesha(14 ft in all), here , isbigger than the Dodda Ganesha of Basavanagudi.(http://www.mulbagal.com/kurudumaletemples.html)
Ganesha Turns White In Dakshinayana,Ganesha Turns Black during Uttarayana.
There is a temple in Tamil Nadu near Nagarcoil,Kanya Kumari District, where the idol of Lord Ganesha changes colors.
This temple is about 15 Km from Nagarcoil.
Lord Vinayakar’s idol changes its color to black and white once in every six months.
During Utharayan (March-June), the idol is black,
and in Dakshiyana (July-Feb) idol turns to white.
This temple came to be known as ‘’Miracle Ganesh Temple.
There is a well inside the temple complex and the color of the water too changes every six months. When the idol is white, the water changes to black and vice versa!
The Temple is also dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Temple Legend.
The king, who ruled Keralapuram, went for a pilgrimage to Rameshwaram, a famous shivite temple facing Bay of Bengal. A Ganesh idol is washed over while the king and his men were washing their legs at the Rameshwaram beach. The king then gifts it to his Rameshwaram counterpart ‘’Sethu Mannan’’. Sethu Mannan was overwhelmed by the love and affection, however he returns the gift back to the Keralapuram King. It was his opinion and belief that the finder should have it and it was the right thing to do. Along with the idol, the Rameshwaram King gifts another Huge Emerald Idol. However, the Mogul later looted the emerald idol during their invasion. They could not take the idol with them, it was stuck to the ground.
Vishnu blessed Ganesha that at each Puja, Vrata, or any Sacred Deed, the Prathama Puja must be performed to Ganesha only
He was named by Lord Vishnu and He also gave Hm the Eight names which we use in Ganesha Puja today.
The first puja, after Ganesha’s new Rupa emerged, was executed by Vishnu and he blessed Ganesha that at each Puja, Vrata, or any Sacred Deed, the Prathama Puja must be performed to Ganesha only and garlanded him with a Vanamaala.
Vishnu performed the ‘nama karana’ (name giving) in the presence of Devas, Maharshis and Munis; he gave eight names: Vighnesha, Ganesha, Heramba, Gajaanana, Lambodara, Ekadanta, Shurpa-karna and Vinayaka. Devi Parvati made Ganesha sit on a golden chair, gave ‘Padya’with the holy waters of Ganga, Godavari etc.; offered Akshatas, flowers, chandana, Kasturi, Agaru Dhupa, Deepa, and Naivedya with a variety of Bhakshya, Bhojya, Lehya, Choshya and Paniyas, besides a wide range of fruits.
Tri Murtis and their spouses, Devas and Devis, Menaka and Himalaya had all chanted the Mantra: OM Shreem Hreem Kleem Ganeswaraaya Brahma ruupaaya chaaravey, Sarvasiddhi pradeshaaya Vighneshaaya Namo namah/ Bhagavan Vishnu then recited the Sacred Ganesha Kavacha to Shanaischara as follows:
( This ‘Samsaara Mohana Kavacha’s Prajapati is Rishi, Brihati is the Chhanda, Swayam Lambodara Ganesha is Devata; Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha is the ‘Viniyoga’; this entire Kavacha is of great essence: Let the Mantra Om gam hum Shri Ganeshaaya swaaha safeguard my head; the Dwadashokshara Manta save my forehead; let Om Hreem Kleem Shreem Gam protect my netras / eyes; may Vighnesha protect my ear lobes; let the Mantra Om Hreem Shreem Kleem protect my nose; let the Mantra Goum Gam Shurpaanyaya Swaha guard my lips and tongue; let the Mantra Om Lam Shreem Lambodaraaya Swaaha secure my cheeks; may the Mantra Om Kleem Hreem Vighna naashaaya swaaha keep my ears safe; let Om Shreem Gam Gajaananaaya swaahaa secure my shoulders; may the Mantra Om Hreem Vinaayakaaya swaaha guard my rear part of my body; let Om Kleem Hreem protect my ‘kamkaal’/ skeleton and the Mantra Gam save my chest. Let Vighna-nihanta provide safety to my hands, feet and the entire body! May Lambodara save my Eastern side, Vighnanayaka the Agneya side, Vighnesha the Southern side, Gajaanana the Nirruti side, Parvati putra the West, Shankaraatmaja the Vaayavya side, Shri Krishna the North, Ekadanta the Ishaana kona, Heramba the Urthwa bhaga / skyward, and Ganaadhipa the ‘Adhobhaga’ the underground. May the ‘Yogi Guru’ procect my while asleep or awake. This is how I explained the whole ‘Samsara Mohana naama Kavacha’to you Suryanandana Shaneswara. This Kavacha was bestowed to me when I attended the ‘raasa leela’ convention at Goloka and this should be divulged to one and all. If a person wears the Kavacha after Guru Puja, it shall indeed safeguard him or her and bestows the boons of performing thousand Ashwamedha Yagnas and thousand Vaajapeya Yagnaas. The Siddhi of this Kavacha is attainable after hundred lakh japas of it.)
The practice of taking a vow to smash a Coconut, this is different from breaking the Coconut in the Temple, here the Coconut is thrown at a Stone in the Temple in front of the Idol, in many Temples there are enclosures for this and the broken pieces are picked up by the people around.
This custom has been there in most of the Tamil Brahmin Homes.
This is not restricted to retrieving the lost objects alone,
This practice is followed for success in any endeavour or for successful completion of any major event like Marriage and even for a safe journey.
My mother used to follow this custom so regularly I use to remark that In Lord Shiva‘s House every one will suffer from dsentery because of the Number of Coconuts e break for Ganesha.!(Those ho collect the smashed pieces either eat them ra and many use this for preparing Coconut Chutney)
May be it is irrational to perform this, but this works for us, and for many more irrational people like me,
So long something works for me it is fine.
I do not look into the rationality behind it.
After all Life itself is irrational.
We use the same technic with Garuda for additional support!
Eka Danta, Ganesha with one tusk.
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