This Raksha Bandhan, Send a Rakhi to Lord Ganesha

Ganesha, My Brother

(Photo: The Quint)

(This story was first published on 6 August, 2017. It has been reposted from The Quint's archives on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.)

He has been called Siddhivinayak, Ganpati Bappa and Vinayak, but one particular Ganesha in Ujjain is affectionately called ‘Bhaiya’ or brother by devotees.

The Bada Ganpati temple in Ujjain is home to one of India’s biggest Ganesha Idols. This 18-feet high Ganesha was set up by Pandit Narayan Ji Vyas in 1903. Even today, his descendants are the caretakers of the temple and its traditions.

What really makes the Bada Ganpati special are the huge rakhis tied to its wrist. Every year during the festival of Rakshabandhan, women from across the world send rakhis for ‘Bada Ganesh’ first, and then they tie it on their brother’s wrist.