There once lived a knowledgeable brahmin by the name of Roudraketu who had 2 sons, Devantakan and Narantakan. They left for Tapas to please Lord Siva and were in Tapas for years until Siva appeared in front of them.
Originally wanting Moksha , they were blinded by desire and instead asked for powers to rule all the worlds. After Siva gifted them their boons , they befriended the Asuras and they started harassing the Devas.
Rishi Kasyapa had 2 wives , one Diti the mother of the Asuras and another Aditi the mother of the Devas.
Having been advised that only Ganapathi could handle these 2 , she prayed to him incessantly.
One day Ganapathi appeared to her in his pure form with a 1000 heads. This pleased her to no end, and she bowed to fall at his feet to seek his blessings, Lord Ganapati moved his feet away , saying , Mother , I have come to be your son , only I can fall at your feet.
Aditi overjoyed that the God amongst Gods was to be her son , told Ganapathi, Lord , as a mother I would want to pamper you , feed you , cherish you,
I can’t do that with such a grand rupa you have taken , please come into a form where that I will be able to handle, hearing that Lord Ganapati took the form of Bala Ganapati.
Rishi Kashyapa and Aditi named him Mahotkata. Aditi naturally bore the ability to feed the child mother’s milk. And she cherished him.
Once Ganapati started being present on earth , miracles started happening everywhere , the good prospered , even those who could not have children for years , suddenly had children.
On the other hand , the evil ones had negative omens shown to them. Narantakan and his brother found out from their astrologers there was an elephant headed child who was in Rishi Kashyapas Ashram who was to kill them.
They sent a powerful female Rakshasa , Surasaa to kill the child. She took the form of a brahmin lady and approached where the young Ganapati was playing with other children.
Grabbing him , she took her Asuric form and swallowed him. The other children ran to Rishi Kashyapas Ashram screaming on what had happened.
Aditi rushed out and seeing Ganapati in the mouth of Surasa , she cried out , in motherly pain.
Rishi Kashyapa , told her , Aditi , in your pasha for him as your son , you forget who he truly is. He is Ganapati, the one even the Trimurti beseech. Do not forget this.
At the same time , Ganapati once swallowed by the female Asura , used his nail of his big toe to tear through her stomach and burst through, killing her.
Being the benevolent God that he is , as he had been in her stomach, even for just some time , though she had been evil , he forgave her , as a mother, and gave her Moksha.
For who else but Ganapati, the Great God of Gods , would lessen himself to that of a Bala for one mother , Aditi and give Moksha for another “mother” Surasaa, who tried to kill him.
Today is Magha Shukla Chathurthi, the Jayanthi of Mahotkata Ganapati, the son of Rishi Kashyapa and Aditi.
Doing Puja of Ganesha with Durva , Red Flowers , and offering his favourite Laddus , Modakas and Coconut is said to garner his blessings.