Ganesa 12 A - Ashtavinayaka 2 A - The Legend Of Ballaleshvaravinayaka Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

Ballaleshvara temple at Pali
Is named after a young boy named
Ballala, who spent his entire life
Meditating and chanting the name of Lord Ganesa.
Ballala was born to Kalyan Seth and Indumati.
Kalyan Seth was a shrewd merchant,
While his wife Indumati was an innocent housewife,
Dutifully carrying on with her household duties.
The couple, Kalyan and Indumati were childless
For some years after their marriage,
But later, were blessed with a son.
They named him Ballala.

Ballala was not an ordinary kid.
He developed great devotion for Sri Ganesa.
He spent hours praying and performing pooja.
He used to run off from his home
To a forest nearby along with his friends.
He made an idol of Ganesa from a stone,
Bathed it and worshipped this stone image as Ganesa.
He made offerings of fruits and decorated
The image of Ganesa with flowers.
He chanted the name of Ganesa with much reverence.

Ballala had a group of friends
Who not only joined him on his sojourn to the forest,
But also, stayed back with him in the forest for long hours.
They enjoyed helping Ballala in decorating the idol with flowers,
They created a pandal, chanting and worshipping the Ganesa idol.
Kalyan Seth was constantly irritated with his son's behaviour
And was even more enraged to know that his son
Ballala, was devoted to Lord Sri Ganesa.

Kalyan Seth was an impatient, hot tempered man
Spending his time only to count money.
He was unfriendly and of no service to his fellowmen.
He got fed up of his son's activities and devotion to Vinayaka.
A day came when Kalyan Seth followed his son to the forest,
He saw his son praying and chanting the name of Sri Ganesa.
In great rage, he threw away the stone idol,
Broke down the pandal and tore the garlands to pieces.

Ballala's friends who watched Kalyan Seth in tearing anger,
Got up and ran away from the forest, out of fright.
But with all this commotion, Ballala sat unmoved.
He continued meditating on Ganesa with his eyes closed.
He was not aware of the presence of his father.
His eyes opened only when Kalyan Seth began
To beat him up mercilessly with a stick.
The father was very harsh with his son
And continued beating him till he bled profusely.
Ballala was tied to a tree by the father and left there to die.

The father challenged him disgustedly saying:
If he was such a great devotee of Sri Ganesa,
Then, let Ganesa Himself come to untie and free him.
So saying, the cruel Kalyan Seth went back to his house,
Leaving his son Ballala, all alone in the forest at the mercy of animals
Ballala cried in pain and fell unconscious.
When he gained consciousness,
He began chanting the name of Sri Ganesa,
Ardently seeking help to relieve him from this torture,
So that he could continue his worship in peace.

A story poem in prose format in free style