Vinayaka Chavithi and the Moon

Told in English, Telugu.

On Vinayaka Chavithi evening, little Sravya stood at the window with her plate of undrallu. The sky was turning dark blue, and she wanted to look for the moon.

"Ammamma, can I see the moon tonight?" she asked.

Ammamma gently turned her around. "Not tonight, chinni. Come, sit with me. Tonight there is a story you must hear." So Sravya climbed into her lap, and Ammamma began.

Long, long ago, on the very first Chavithi, people in every home made a feast for Lord Ganesha. They made soft undrallu, sweet kudumulu, payasam, and laddus as round as little moons. And Ganesha, who loves sweets more than anything, went from house to house to bless the families.

In one house he ate ten kudumulu. In the next house he ate twenty undrallu. In the next house, a little girl gave him her very own laddu, and how could he say no to that?

By the time the night came, Ganesha's big round tummy was rounder than ever. "Mooshika," he said to his little mouse, "let us go home now. I am very, very full."

Mooshika is a tiny mouse, and Ganesha is a big, heavy god. Can you imagine carrying him after all those sweets? Mooshika puffed and panted, step by little step, along the moonlit road.

Then, all of a sudden, something long and shiny slid across the path. Ssssss! It was a snake!

Mooshika squeaked in fright and stopped so quickly that Ganesha slipped right off his back. Down he went, bump, onto the ground. And because his tummy was so full, it popped open, and all the undrallu and kudumulu came rolling out onto the road!

Now, Ganesha is very clever and very calm. He did not cry. He sat up, picked up all his sweets, and put them back in his tummy, one by one. Then he looked at the snake and said, "Friend, will you help me?" He wrapped the snake around his tummy like a belt and tied it tight. There! Everything was safe and snug.

But someone had been watching all of this from high up in the sky.

It was Chandrudu, the Moon. The Moon was very beautiful, and he knew it. He was a little bit proud. When he saw round Ganesha sitting on the road, picking up sweets and tying a snake around his tummy, he laughed and laughed.

"Ha ha ha! Look at the big-bellied one! Falling off a little mouse! Ha ha ha!" His laughter rang across the whole sky.

Ganesha looked up. His face became very serious. It is not kind to laugh when someone falls down, is it?

"Chandra," said Ganesha in a deep voice, "you are proud of your shining face, and you laugh at others. So listen. From today, anyone who looks at you on this Chavithi night will be blamed for something they did not do."

The whole sky went quiet. The Moon stopped laughing. His bright face turned pale.

All the gods heard this, and they were worried. Without the moon, how would the nights be lovely? How would the farmers know the days of the month? They came to Ganesha with folded hands. "Vighneshwara, please be kind. Chandrudu made a mistake, but please show him mercy."

The Moon came down slowly and bowed his head before Ganesha. "Swami," he said softly, "I was proud and foolish. I laughed when I should have helped. I am truly sorry. Please forgive me."

Ganesha looked at the Moon for a long moment. He could see that the Moon's sorry was real. And Ganesha's heart, which is as big as his tummy, became soft again.

"Chandra," he said kindly, "because you are truly sorry, I will make my words lighter. People may look at you happily on every other night of the year. Only on the night of Vinayaka Chavithi should they not look at you. And if someone does see you by mistake, let them hear my story and put akshatalu on their head with a true heart. Then no blame will stay with them."

The Moon smiled with great relief. "Thank you, Swami. I will never laugh at anyone who falls again."

And from that day the Moon has been gentle and quiet, shining softly on everyone below.

Ammamma stroked Sravya's hair. "Do you know, chinni, even Lord Krishna once saw the moon on Chavithi night, by mistake, reflected in a cup of milk? And soon after, people blamed him for taking a precious jewel called Syamantakamani, which he never took! Krishna had to go on a long journey to find the jewel and show everyone the truth. That is why, after our puja, we read the Vinayaka story and put akshatalu on our heads."

Sravya's eyes were wide. "So that is why we did that this morning!"

"Yes," said Ammamma. She took a few grains of akshatalu from the puja plate and gently placed them on Sravya's head. "Now you have heard the story too."

Sravya thought for a moment. "Ammamma, if I see someone fall down, I will not laugh. I will help them up, like a good friend."

"That is exactly the lesson," said Ammamma, and she gave her a big hug.

Then Sravya ate one more undrallu, just one, and whispered toward the puja room, "Good night, Ganesha. Please do not eat too many sweets tonight!"

And somewhere, a little mouse giggled.