Ganapati and the Panchajanya Conch

Meera was sitting on the balcony with Nanu. The sun was slowly going down. The last light had painted the sky red and orange. Meera was completely lost in the sea of colours.

“Nanu, where is Mr. Sun going now?” she asked.

“Going home, little one. Look over there! Even the birds are flying back home.”

Adjusting her hairband, Nanu said, “Come. It’s time to light the diya and do aarti.”

“Let’s go!” she jumped. “Nanu, today, I’ll ring the bell during aarti. You promised me, remember!”

She grabbed Nanu’s finger and walked to the puja room.

While Nanu was busy preparing for puja, Meera’s eyes fell on his glasses. A naughty idea flashed in her head! Quietly, she tiptoed over and picked them up. Then, she sat in Nanu’s rocking chair, wearing the glasses on her tiny nose, held up a book, and acted as if she was reading, just like her grandfather!

When Nanu finished the puja and turned around, he burst out laughing.

“Oho, Meera, you've become mini Nanu today,” he chuckled. Then he said gently, “But remember one thing, dear one. We should never take things without asking. When people can’t find their things, it troubles them. Now come on, let me have my glasses back.”

Hiding the glasses behind her back, Meera giggled.

Nanu laughed again. “Well, well! You’re being just as naughty as your Gannu Bhaiya. One time, he too had taken Bhagwan Vishnu’s Panchajanya shankh without asking!”

“Panchajanya shankh? What’s that, Nanu?” Meera was interested. “And why did Gannu Bhaiya take it? Please, please, pleeease, my wise old Nanu, tell me that story.” Nanu smiled and began.

“Once upon a time, little Ganesh heard Mata Parvati talk about the Panchajanya shankh, a special conch, very dear to Sri Vishnu. She told Ganapati about Panchajanya—smooth and spotless white. When Sri Vishnu blew on it, its booming sound could be heard on the earth and in the sky!”

Nanu continued, “Gannu Bhaiya was just like you, Meera—full of questions and eager to try new things. He wondered about Panchajanya. He wanted to blow it, just once! And so, he came up with a naughty plan. One day, Sri Ganesh called his vahan, Mooshakraaj. Together, they decided to go and see the Panchajanya.”

“And then…” Nanu paused. 

“Then… then what happened, Nanu?”

“And then, your naughty Gannu Bhaiya hopped onto Mooshakraaj and WHOOSH! Off they flew to Vaikunth!”

“Vaikunth? Where’s that, Nanu?” asked Meera.

“Vaikunth Dham is Bhagwan Vishnu’s home. It had big golden palaces with tall golden doors. Pillars rose as high as the sky, studded with pearls and diamonds. The whole palace glittered. The sweet smell of sandalwood floated in the air, and lovely ponds filled with colorful lotuses. Gannu Bhaiya was zapped. He stared at the shimmering palace, then at the lotuses, then back at the palace again! But he wasn’t smiling. In fact, he was sad and lost in thought.” 

Meera was puzzled. “Why, Nanu? Didn’t he like Vaikunth?”

Nanu nodded. “Oh no, my precious, not at all. Of course he loved Vaikunth! But the thing he had come for was nowhere to be seen!”

Meera’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, yes. Panchajanya, right, Nanu?”

“Yes… you got it!” Nanu continued. “So, Mooshakraaj and Gannu Bhaiya began looking for the Panchajanya conch. Sri Vishnu was resting then. He was in a deep sleep. Ganapati and Mooshakraaj searched high and low but could not find it. Sri Vishnu kept his favorite Panchajanya close to him. Just then, Mooshakraaj spotted something white near Sri Vishnu’s back. His eyes lit up, and he squeaked with joy. ‘My Lord! Look, look! There’s your Panchajanya!’”

“ ‘Shhh…’ Gannu Bhaiya put a finger to his mouth, telling the mouse to keep his voice low. Quiet as a mouse, Gannu Bhaiya tiptoed over, picked up the Panchajanya, and then off they zoomed to Kailash.”

“Flying over the clouds, they kept hiding the conch, sometimes here, sometimes there, so that no god or goddess would spot them!”

At last, Mooshakraaj landed very carefully on Kailash. An icy wind was blowing all around. All the ganas, Mahadev's helpers, were curled up in their caves, snoring away. Meanwhile, little Ganesh was over the moon! Gazing at the conch, he said, “Oho! So, this is the Panchajanya that Mata was talking about! She was right. It’s so lovely!” He kept staring at the shankh for a long, long time.

Then, with a naughty smile, he turned to Mooshakraaj. “Shall we?”

“Yes, my Lord, without wasting a minute,” Mooshakraaj said, excited.

“Phooo… Wooo!… Womp….womp… OM!” A funny sound came out. Not the deep sound of a conch but the sound of a badly tuned trumpet. Ganapati’s face was red with effort. The sound boomed in Kailash. The ganas woke up with a start and rushed out of their caves. Everyone looked this way and that, wondering what in the world was going on! Gannu Bhaiya blew the Panchajanya so hard that its sound travelled all the way to Devlok and Vaikunth!

“Then what happened, Nanu?” Meera couldn’t wait.

“The moment Bhagwan Vishnu heard the Panchajanya, he woke up. Mahadev also got up from his meditation. Following the sound, Bhagwan Vishnu reached Kailash. There, he saw Sri Ganesh blowing the conch again and again. Each time a funny sound came out, he burst out laughing with Mooshakraaj.”

“Then Gannu Bhaiya must have gotten a big scolding, right?” said Meera.

“No… not a scolding, really. It was all too funny, but they did tell him not to do it again. It had already caused a lot of confusion. Gannu Bhaiya was having so much fun with the conch that he lost all track of time. For a long time, Mahadev and Bhagwan Vishnu stood there smiling. Little Ganapati held the Panchajanya, his trunk curled to the right.

Panchajanya was a Valampuri shankh, a rare conch that opens to its right side. It is a very lucky and sacred conch. After a long wait, Sri Vishnu said to Bhagwan Shiv, ‘O Mahadev! Please, now ask Ganapati to give the Panchajanya back.’”

“‘Prabhu, getting the shankh back from Ganesh isn’t that easy! But if you play with him for a while, maybe he'll give it back on his own,’ said Mahadev.”

“Bhagwan Vishnu understood. He smiled. ‘Is that so? Oh, sure I can play! That’s what I do best.’ ”

“And oh boy, what fun it was! Bhagwan Vishnu and Gannu Bhaiya began playing together. Mahadev and all the ganas of Kailash cheered happily as they watched. Gannu Bhaiya had such a wonderful time that he happily gave the Panchajanya back to Bhagwan Vishnu. And that, my dear, is how the story ends.”

“Now, my little princess, will you please give me back my glasses?” asked Nanu.

“Hahaha… yes, Nanu! All yours. Here you go!”

“Very good! Now say it with me: ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya! Mangal Murti Morya!’”

A child’s world is colourful. Don’t be surprised to find fish swimming in the pink skies of their imagination! We’ve tried to enrich this world with inspiring Kathas from Sanatan Dharma.
Some characters and situations have been creatively moulded to make the narrative more engaging for children. We hope this small effort helps them connect with and appreciate Indian culture and Sanatan tradition. Stories heard from grandparents are not just sweet memories; they lay the foundation for values, wisdom, and a lasting connection to our roots.