Sankashti Chaturthi Mandal
One of the most vivid and well-known images of Shree Ganesh — his belly wrapped by a serpent as a belt — comes directly from the same night that gave rise to the story of the moon's curse, and involves the great serpent-king Vasuki.
A Belly Too Full, a Fall Too Hard
Having eaten a great abundance of modaks during the Chaturthi festivities, young Ganesha's belly grew so round and heavy that, riding home upon his mouse, he lost his balance and tumbled to the ground, his stomach splitting open from the fall.
Wisdom in an Instant
Rather than let the mishap remain a wound, Shree Ganesh is remembered gathering up what had spilled, placing it back within himself, and reaching for the nearby serpent Vasuki to bind his belly closed as a makeshift belt — composed and resourceful even in the middle of an embarrassing fall. It is this same episode, witnessed and mocked by the moon, that leads directly into the story of the lunar curse.
What Devotees Seek
The image of Vasuki as Shree Ganesh's belt is remembered by devotees as a small but powerful lesson in composure — that even the most public stumble can be met with quick thinking rather than shame.