Sankashti Chaturthi 2021: Know Why Lord Ganesha Is The First One To Be Worshipped In Every Puja

It is believed that Lord Gajanan takes away all the troubles of his devotees on this day, therefore it is known as Sankashti Chaturthi. 

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Sankashti Chaturthi 2021: According to Indian Calendar, every month has two Chaturthi dates. This year, Sankashti Chaturthi is being celebrated on August 25. Lord Ganesh, also known as Lord Gajanan, is worshipped on Sankashti Chaturthi. This year, Sankashti Chaturthi will begin at 4.18 pm on August 25 and end at 5.13 pm on August 26. Sankashti Chaturthi is also known as Bahula or Heramba Sankashti Chaturthi. The fast on Chaturthi is considered highly auspicious in Hinduism. It is believed that Lord Gajanan takes away all the troubles of his devotees on this day, therefore it is known as Sankashti Chaturthi. 

Why is Lord Gajanan worshipped first?
According to the scriptures, Lord Ganesha is also known as 'Remover of Obstacle', and that is why he is called 'Vignaharta'. But do you know why is Lord Ganesha worshipped first in every puja? Here's the story behind it:

According to mythology, an invitation was sent to all the deities on behalf of Srihari at the time of the marriage of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. While preparing for the wedding procession on the wedding day, when everyone realised that Lord Ganesh was not a part of the wedding, Lord Vishnu was asked the reason for his absence.

Lord Vishnu said that his father Lord Shiva has been invited. If Lord Ganesha wants to accompany his father, he would be welcomed. However, a separate invitation to Lord Ganesha would be unnecessary. A man suggested to him that even if Lord Ganesha arrived to be a part of the wedding, he should be made a gatekeeper outside the house. He would sit on the mouse and walk slowly and be far behind the procession. Lord Vishnu liked these suggestions and agreed to call Lord Ganesha. 

Lord Ganesha insulted:

When Lord Ganesha arrived, he was asked to sit outside and guard the house. The wedding procession went ahead, but Lord Ganesha sat outside the house just like a gatekeeper. When Narad Muni saw him, he asked Lord Ganesha why is he not a part of this procession.

Lord Ganesha told him that Lord Vishnu has insulted him by making him a gatekeeper. Hearing this, Narad Muni advised him to send his army of mice ahead of the procession. The army will go there and dig the way, and the chariot will get stuck in the ground. They would then acknowledge and appreciate his presence. Lord Ganesha did exactly what Narad Muni advised him. The mice army went ahead and dug the way. This caused the wheels of the chariot to collapse and disintegrate. Seeing this, Narad Muni told the members of the procession are bearing the consequences of insulting Lord Ganesha. He added that their procession can only reach its destination if they apologise and persuade Lord Ganesha. After this incident, Lord Shiva sent Nandi to get Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha was brought to the procession and worshipped with great devotion. Only after this were the chariots pulled out of the ground. 

Farmers advise deities:

The wheels of the chariot were completely broken. This is when the farmers working nearby were asked to remove the chariot. They worshipped Lord Ganesha by chanting 'Shri Ganeshaya Namah' and pulled the chariot out of the ground. The wheels of the chariot were soon mended. The farmers then told the deities, 'The reason why you were stuck in this problem was that you did not worship Lord Ganesha in the beginning.' Therefore, Lord Ganesha is worshipped before anything auspicious is done so that our journey is obstacle-free.