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Traditional story (retold)
Part 1: The Potter's Kiln
In a city lived a potter. He made clay pots and baked them in a fire, which is called the 'aava' (kiln). Once he made a great many pots, but when he put them in the kiln to bake, they would not bake properly. Every time they stayed raw. The potter was very troubled and went to the king of the city.
Part 2: The King's Order
He said, "Maharaj, my pots will not bake in any way. My livelihood is in danger." The king called his royal priest. After thinking, the priest said, "Maharaj, if a child is offered as a sacrifice each time the kiln is lit, the pots will bake."
The king ordered that one child from every house in the city be sent to the kiln by turns. By this rule a wail of grief rose among the families of the city. Gradually the children of many homes were gone. In the end the turn came to an old mother who had only one son. He was the support of her life.
Part 3: The Old Woman's Son and the Sakat Vrat
The old woman wept bitterly, but the king's order had to be obeyed. She gave her son betel nut and durva for the worship of Sakat Mata (Ganesh Ji) and said, "Son, when you are made to sit in the kiln, take Ganesh Ji's name and keep this betel nut and durva with you. The Lord will protect you." That day was the Krishna Chaturthi of the month of Magha.
The boy was made to sit in the kiln. The mother came home and prayed to Ganesh Ji all night. She kept the Sakat vrat, made tilkut and went on taking Ganesh Ji's name through the night. In the morning when the potter went to look at the kiln, he was greatly astonished. All the pots were fully baked, and the old woman's boy was sitting there safe and laughing. The fire in the kiln had burned out and calmed, and he had not been hurt at all. Moreover, the children who had been sacrificed before also came back to life and returned to their mothers.
Part 4: The Miracle and the Beginning of the Vrat
Seeing this miracle, the king called the potter and the old woman. The old woman told the whole story of how she had kept the Sakat Chauth vrat and worshipped Ganesh Ji. The king had it proclaimed in the city that from now on every mother would keep the Sakat vrat on the Krishna Chaturthi of Magha for the protection of her children.
From that time the Sakat Chauth vrat became popular. It is said that Ganesh Ji removes all the troubles of the children of the mother who keeps this vrat with faith. Say it aloud: Ganapati Bappa Morya!
Another Belief About Tilkuta
In some regions another katha about Ganesh Ji and the Moon is told on this day, along with the story of Shankar Ji cutting off Ganesh Ji's head at his birth and placing an elephant's head, to show that worship on Chaturthi cuts away troubles. In some places it is told as the katha of 'Sakat Mata'. Across North India the tradition of dishes of sesame and jaggery remains the same even today.
Thus ends the complete Sakat Chauth Katha