Dhundhi Ganesha

Dhundi Ganesha is regarded as the twenty-sixth among the 32 different forms of Ganesha. There?s a beautiful story associated with this form of the Lord which goes like this: In the village of Pali lived a successful businessman named Kalyan with his wife, Indumati. Their son, Ballal was a great devout of the Lord. He gathered the children of the village and started worshipping a very large stone as a remembrance of Ganesha. They became so engrossed in devotion that they forgot their homes, hunger and thirst. This led the parents of these children complaining about Ballal to his father, who flew into a rage and started beating Ballal badly and tied him with tree and started insulting Ganesha by throwing his idol to the ground. Ballal drenched in blood still kept on remembering Ganesha and the Lord came to his rescue. Ganesha said, ?I shall ever remain here, and all will take your name before mine, being worshipped as Ballal?s Lord (Ballaleshwar).? He embraced Ballal and vanished into the nearby stone. The stone?s cracks disappeared and were made whole again. 340 341 That stone statue is called Ballaleshwar. The stone idol which Kalyan threw to the ground is also known as Dhundi Vinayak. This is a swayambhu(Self emerged) murti and is worshipped before Ballaleshwar is worshipped. Dhundi Ganesha is regarded as an epitome of strength, childlike and a granter of boons for succeeding in one?s spiritual studies and becoming illuminated.