The story behind discarding the second tusk goes back to the origin of Mahabharata, when sage Ved Vyas sat down to dictate the epic. He obviously needed a stenographer and Ganesh offered his services, provided the dictation would be non-stop.

The learned sage agreed, but insisted upon a new condition: Ganesh must not jot down anything unless he could fathom its meaning. Rather than be caught wanting, he agreed to match Ved Vyas, word for word, little realising he did not even have a pen to start with!

Since the dictation had begun, Ganesh, in desperation, broke one tusk and used it as a stylus. It is another matter that the broken tusk was flung at the moon when it made fun of Ganesh’s elephant head. The proud moon was brought down and made to decorate his forehead, thus giving him the name of Bhalachandra.

There are many such legends, often contradicting one another, which have only endeared Ganesh as the most human of all gods. Once, he was challenged by his elder brother, Kartikeya, to prove who, between them, was more loyal to their parents — Shiva and Parvati. It was then decided that whoever could tour the universe fastest and return home first, would be declared most loyal.

Thus, while Kartikeya trotted away on his peacock to scour the mountains and the seas and forests of the three worlds, Ganesh performed a simple jig around his mother. His reasoning: "One round around your mother is equivalent to a journey across the universe!"

However, the most significant of all legends is the one that explains his peculiar countenance. He was born a normal child, like his brother, only that he was more loyal and obedient. So when his mother instructed him to stay on guard at the doorstep and not allow anybody inside the house while she bathed, he took her word to heart, in letter and spirit.

Nothing could make him budge from the position his mother had placed him in, not even his father, who came knocking at the door. Ganesh refused to let him in. Infuriated at his insolence, Shiva opened his third eye and in a flash, the boy’s head was incinerated beyond recognition.

Shiva realised his folly when he saw that the headless child was his own son. In a hurry, he got hold of a white baby elephant passing by and exercising his divine powers, transposed its head on his son. Then finding that others could make his elephant-headed (Gajavaktra) son the butt of many jokes, he ordained that thenceforth, before offering prayers to any god, every human being must seek the blessings of Ganesh.

This explains why, at the beginning of any religious or auspicious act, Ganesh’s blessings are invoked. Shiva even prescribed the prayer to propitiate his son, thus: "O God, you who has a curved trunk, a huge body, your lustre is like that of a million suns, please free my path of obstacles in all auspicious works I undertake."

Ganesh Puja comes to an end on Anant Chaturdashi (September 9), exactly 10 days from the start of the festivities. The day is important as it signifies an entity which has "no beginning and no end". It is another expression for the ‘eternal one’ — the God who returns to Earth, year after year, to bless his followers. With his immersion, a cry rents the air: "Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudchya Varshi Laukar Ya!" Translated from Marathi, this means: "O Lord Ganesh, do come back next year..." MF