With Ganesh Chaturti right around the corner, here is a little story about everyone’s beloved Lord Ganesha and his consorts as told over the years.
As with countless other gods and their stories, Lord Ganesha and stories related to him too are widely debated. One such story associated with our beloved elephant-headed god is the matter of his marital status! While a lot of people believe that Lord Ganesha is unmarried, and a staunch brahmachari, Ganesha is widely worshipped along with his two consorts, Riddhi and Siddhi.
It is said that the young Lord Ganesha wanted a wife but could not find one because of his elephant head. Upset by this, the mischievous god would often disrupt and disturb the wedding ceremonies of the other gods and devas, much to their despair. Helpless and not knowing whom else to turn to, the devas approached Lord Brahma. Upon hearing of their woes, Lord Brahma smiled and created two beautiful maidens, Riddhi and Siddhi, and offered them to Lord Ganesha as his wives. Pleased with Brahma’s offer, Lord Ganesha accepted, and finally let the other devas and deities get married in peace.
Lord Ganesh is worshipped for being the remover of obstacles from the paths of his devotees, especially those who are starting a new venture. Old grandmothers’ tales used to lovingly depict Ganesha using his trunk to pluck hurdles out of the paths of those who worshipped him. Aside from this, Ganesha is said to be the granter of knowledge and wisdom, as well as of prosperity and success.
So, it is only logical that Ganesha’s two consorts are representative of the most important virtues that he himself is known, loved and worshipped for. While Riddhi depicts wealth and prosperity, Siddhi depicts intellect and spirituality. Together, Riddhi and Siddhi represent the holy balance between material wealth and intellectual wisdom that people must aim to attain.
