We all know the various birth and bravery stories of Lord Ganesha. But, very few people know the love story of the elephant head god. The marital status of Lord Ganesha has been described in the mythological stories. People in South India say that Lord Ganesha was a brahmachari which means he was unmarried. But, there are many beliefs on consorts of Ganesha. It is said that Ganesha was married to twin sisters, Riddhi and Siddhi.
If we look at the myths about Lord Ganesha and His consorts, there are different and many beliefs in all parts of the country. Many devotees think that Ganesha was married to Buddhi (intellect), Siddhi (spiritual power), and Riddhi (prosperity) whereas in few places Ganesha is named as the husband of Saraswati (Goddess of art and culture). These regional variations about Lord Ganesha and His consorts has lead to a lot of confusions.
In Śiva Purāṇa, the story of Lord Ganesha's marriage has been described. Ganesha and his brother Skanda competed to marry the two desirable daughters of Prajāpati, Siddhi and Buddhi. Ganesha with his clever approach won the fight and requested His parents (lord Shiva and Parvati) to get Him married to the twin sisters. It is also mentioned that Ganesha had two sons: Kshema born to Siddhi, and Lābha born to Buddhi.
Lord Ganesha's relationship with Ashtasiddhi is also well-known. Ashtasiddhi is the eight spiritual attainments which was achieved by yoga. These eight spiritual powers are represented by a group of eight women who have surrounded Lord Ganesha. Some even say that Ganesha was the father of Santoshi Maa.
In West Bengal, Lord Ganesha is associated with a banana tree. On the first day of Durga Puja, the banana tree is wrapped up in a red bordered white saree and vermilion is sprinkled on the leaves. Also known as Kala Bou, the plant is set on the right side of Ganesha after it is worshipped. Many Bengalis consider the Kala Bou as the wife of Lord Ganesha.
Though Ganesha is paired with the twin consorts, Riddhi and Siddhi, the relationship is also considered vague by many devotees due to the belief that He was a brahmachari. There is no Purāṇic evidence for the pair, but the pairing parallels those of Buddhi and Siddhi in Shiva Purana and Riddhi and Buddhi from Matsya Purana.
In Hinduism, Ganesha is worshipped with his two consorts, Riddhi and Siddhi. As it is Ganesh Chaturthi, take the name of Riddhi and Siddhi along with Ganesha to get the blessings.
-boldsky
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