Ganesha Tales: Ganesha And The Bowl Of Kheer (Episode 140)

Ganesha is the elephant-headed god of Hindus. 

This is a nice and funny story about Lord Ganesha. He was very fond of his devotees and at the same time used to have some good fun at their cost. He descends to earth during Ganeshotasav to be with his devotees. Except for one kind woman, no one in the village helps him, and he has taken the form of a poor boy

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Transcript

It was festive time in India and everything seemed to be colourful. Ganesh Puja was on the cards and the whole village was getting itself ready to celebrate the Ganeshotsav. Every house was getting a new look. Men, women and children alike, were showcasing their new dresses. Preparation of sweets by every household was in full swing, after all, Ganesha loves sweets.

Children, which are your favourite sweets??

That’s nice.

Meantime, to celebrate Ganeshotsav, Ganesha himself decides to descend down to earth to be with his devotees and help them in the celebrations. Ganesha is a very wise and witty deity and so it was natural for him to have some fun.

One fine day, when the whole village was busy preparing for the festival, a young boy was seen on the streets. He seemed to be very poor. While he was wandering on the streets, he was announcing, “A spoonful of milk and a fistful of rice, that's all I have. Someone please make me a bowl of kheer for me.”

Whoever heard the boy, immediately got annoyed. What a wishful thinking. How dare the boy dream of getting a bowl of kheer from such a meagre quantity of rice and milk. Simply unthinkable.

So none of the villagers came to his help or offered him any sweets to eat. They simply shooed him away. But the boy was very determined, he kept on ranting about his spoonful of milk and a fistful of rice.

“A spoonful of milk and a fistful of rice, that's all I have. Someone please make me a bowl of kheer for me.” He kept announcing as he roamed around the streets.

Ultimately, at the fag end of the day, an old woman took pity on him. She invited him to her house and said that she would prepare a bowl of kheer for him. The boy was overjoyed to hear this. He asks the woman to get a very big vessel. The old woman laughs at such a suggestion. “A big vessel? What for? The quantity of rice and milk is so less, that it won't even fill a bowl.”

But the boy was adamant, he kept on asking for the biggest vessel. Finally, the woman relents goes to a neighbouring house of a washerwoman and gets a very big vessel. The milk and rice are poured into the vessel. A little bit of sugar is also added.

In the meantime, while the kheer was getting cooked, the boy excused himself and went out of the house. Before leaving, he makes the woman promise that she won't eat or taste the kheer before he does. After a while, the woman too falls asleep and goes to bed. A very nice aroma was coming from the kheer and was filling the whole house. The aroma woke up the woman and she rushed towards the kitchen. Surprise, the huge vessel was overflowing with the most delicious looking kheer. It was filled to the brim.

She understands, it must be the blessing of Lord Ganesha himself.

She takes a spoon of the creamy white kheer and rushes to offer it to the idol of Ganesha, she had in her prayer room.

“Thank you lord Ganesha. I am blessed. I am offering this first spoon of kheer to you. ”

Looking at the lovely kheer, she got very hungry herself. She wanted to have a bite too, but alas, she has promised she won't taste before the boy.

“And where is the wretched boy? Why he is not coming?” she thought to herself.

Already he has given a lot of trouble to her, by asking her to cook for him.

Unable to contain her hunger anymore, she helps herself with a bowl of the mouth-watering dish. It was so delicious that she goes for a second helping, then a third, fourth and so on till she is unable to take anymore.

Lo and behold!

Magic! sheer magic, the vessel remained full to the brim, filling up again and again.

Soon after, the boy returns. The woman feels very guilty and ashamed of herself. She was not able to keep her promise. But the boy consoles her telling that she has already fed him. The woman was surprised to hear that. When did she feed him? No, never. With a chuckle, the boy replies, he was the Ganesha whom she fed in her puja room. Thus she has kept her promise. Saying thus, Ganesha takes his real form. The old woman immediately falls on the feet of Ganesha, weeping at the same time, for not having recognized him.

Ganesha lifts her up, embraces her and tells her to ask for a wish. The woman replies that she is a poor uneducated woman and doesn't know how to ask one. Ganesha advises her to try. The woman then wishes to Ganesha, that she be made into a young, beautiful and rich woman with a beautiful palace and a garden. Ganesha smiles at her. Of course the woman is not so foolish. In one wish itself she has asked for so many things. He asks the woman to distribute the kheer to the whole of the village first, then he will see whether to grant her wish or not. The woman immediately rushes off to fulfil the task given by Ganesha and in no time she completes it too.

On her return, she finds that Ganesha is there waiting for her. She asks him about her wish. Ganesha asks her to turn back and bend down. As soon as she turns and bends, she feels a hard push on her back, stumbles forward and falls flat on her face.

Children, can you please tell me what was happening to the woman?

Let’s listen ahead.

The woman gets very angry, and gets up to admonish Ganesha, but at that very instant she realizes that she is in a different world. She finds herself surrounded by beautiful flowers, and trees and facing to her is a big palace. She was wearing beautiful dresses and ornaments.

She thanks Ganesha for fulfilling her wish. The villagers when they came to know of this incident, felt very ashamed of themselves. That Lord Ganesha himself came to their place and they failed to welcome him. They rush to the old woman's place and ask for Ganesha's forgiveness. Ganesha had a heart of gold and forgave everyone.