Vinayagar Chaturthi

Well Today is Vinayagar Shahurthi / Vinayagar Chaturthi is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Ganesha/Vinayagar

Once, the story goes, Parvathi and Parameswara were playing a game of dice with Nandiswara (Parameswara's vehicle, the bully as the umpire). Although Iswara lost the game, Nandi declared Him as the winner. Enraged at this unfair decision Parvathi cursed Nandi that he would be afflicted with an incurable disease. Nandi, seeking Parvathi's forgiveness, explained that he gave the verdict in Parameswara's favour because the latter was his master and his duty as a servant was to serve him. Parvathi relented and said that Nandi would be freed from the curse if he offered to her son Ganapathi what was most relished by Nandi. Nandi pondered for a moment and declared that what he loved most as a bull was fresh green grass. He would offer that to Ganapathi. That was how the practice of including fresh green grass among the offerings made to Ganapathi during festival occasions came into vogue.

VINAYAGAR CHATURTHI CELEBRATIONS Vinayagar Chaturthi is grandly celebrated in Malaysia. All Vinayagar temples celebrate this festival. Other temples also often celebrate it, especially if there is no Vinayagar temple in that area. Vinayagar Chaturthi falls on the 4th day of the new moon in the month of Aavani (August-September).


Vinayagar Chaturthi helps us realize the unity of all life. It teaches us to drop off our egocentric, individualism for God-centered universalism.