In a village called Pali, there lived a merchant named Kalyansheth and his wife Indumati. Their son Ballal was an ardent devotee of Lord Ganesha. One day, Ballal went to the forest with his friends to play. Ballal was very pleased when he saw a large stone. He told his friends to imagine the stone to be Lord Ganesha and to worship it. The children drew a trunk on the stone with red paint and made an offering of beautiful flowers to it. Some boys ran and brought fresh fruits. They offered the fruits to the idol. They were very happy and began chanting Ganesha’s Mantra. They also recited the couplet, ‘Vakratunda Mahakaya’. When the boys did not return for quite some time, the anxious parents rushed to the forest. They accused Ballal of spoiling their children. When the other children saw their parents, they ran to them and went home happily. Ballal continued to stay there and pray.
Ballal and Ganesha
