One day goddess Parvati
questioned Lord Shiva,''Whenever you are in a meditation,there is a unique
grace on your face,so I want to know the power you are praying! 'Lord
shiva replied,"why only me ! you can also ask this question to Lord
Brahma,Vishnu,Sun,Moon etc."
Lord
Shiva confessed that the power is the 'Aum'.Parvati asked whether she can
also achive that grace.To this Shiva affirmed that it was possible only if
the 'Aum' mantra is chanted for years together,by seating in peaceful
place with full concentration .
Lord Shiva understood her wish and
blessed her that the power 'Aum' will be created from your
soul.Overwhelmed Parvati added that the child coming from the soul(Atma)
is 'Atmaj' and no woman is complete without a child.
Soon,the eager Goddess Parvati reached
the village called Jirnapur and found a cave in a big
mountain(Lenyadri).For her concentration she installed a statue of a child
in front of her and started a deep and rigerous meditation, by chanting
the 'Aum' mantra.
After a very long meditation , on the day
of 'Bhadrapad Shuddha Chaturthi' the statue in front of her got
transformed in to a child,who had a trunk and four hands.So every year on
this day,Ganesha is worshipped and it is the widely celebrated popular
festival called 'Ganesh Chaturthi'
Parvati is a daughter of a
mountain(Girija) and Ganesha is her child(Atmaj).So this form of Ganesha
is called 'Girjatmaj'
The village ancient Jirnapur is today's
Junnar which is five kms. from Lenyadri.
