Sankashti Chaturthi Mandal
Among the more unusual stories connecting Shree Ganesh to the sacred geography of India is the account of Maya Dhenu, an illusionary cow, and the chain of events that led, indirectly, to the origin of the Godavari river.
A Dispute Among Sages
At the hermitage of the sage Gautama near the Brahmagiri hills, tension arose among a community of sages over access to water Gautama had secured through his own devotion and effort, with jealousy leading the other sages' wives to seek a way to force Gautama from his home.
An Illusion Sent to Deceive
At their request, Shree Ganesh sent Maya Dhenu, a cow of illusion, into Gautama's fields, where it began destroying his crops. When Gautama gently tried to shoo it away with sacred grass, the cow fell dead, and Gautama found himself, through no true fault of his own, accused of the grave offense of harming sacred cattle.
What Devotees Seek
Shiva himself absolved Gautama of this false accusation, and in seeking further purification, Gautama's prayers brought the river later called Godavari, or Gautami, into being — a sacred river whose origin traces back, however indirectly, to this small and complicated act involving Shree Ganesh.