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Ganesha

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Divinities


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                                                                  Ganesha
                                         Lord Ganesha
                                                             Lord Ganesha
                                        God of Removing all the obstacles
                       Devanagari:                        गणेश or श्रीगणेश
                      Affiliation:                                    Deva
                          Consort: Riddhi (knowledge), Siddhi (perfection)
                            Mount:                       mooshikam (mouse)

   In Hinduism, Ganesha (Sanskrit: गणेश ganesh or श्रीगणेश shriganesh(
   listen ) (when used to distinguish lordly status) (or "lord of the
   hosts," also spelled as Ganesa and Ganesh, often also referred to as
   Ganapati) is one of the most well-known and venerated representations
   of God. He is the first son of Shiva and Parvati, and the 'consort' of
   Buddhi (also called Riddhi) and Siddhi. 'Ga' symbolizes Buddhi
   (intellect) and 'Na' symbolizes Vidnyana (wisdom). Ganesha is thus
   considered the master of intellect and wisdom. He is depicted as a
   big-bellied, yellow or red god with four arms and the head of a one-
   tusked elephant, riding on, or attended to by, a mouse. He is
   frequently represented sitting down, with one leg raised in the air and
   bent over the other. Typically, his name is prefixed with the Hindu
   title of respect, 'Shree' or Sri.

   Ganapati is popularly worshipped in different avataras such as Krishna,
   Sage Parashurama, Naga (the snake god). He is also depicted as a
   warrior king and at times in a playful mood with dandiya sticks, the
   symbol of the navaratri festival.

   The popularity of Ganesha is widely diffused, even outside of India.
   Some of his devotees identify Ganesha as the Supreme deity and are
   called the Ganapatya.

Iconography

   As is the case with every other external form with which Hinduism
   represents god, in the sense of the personal appearance of Brahman
   (also referred to as Ishvara, the Lord), the figure of Ganesha too is
   an archetype loaded with multiple meanings and symbolism which
   expresses a state of perfection as well as the means of obtaining it.
   Ganesha, in fact, is the symbol of he who has discovered the Divinity
   within himself.

   Ganesha is the first sound, OM, in which all hymns were born. When
   Shakti (Energy / Matter) and Shiva (Being / Consciousness) meet, both
   Sound (Ganesha) and Light (Skanda) were born. He represents the perfect
   equilibrium between force and kindness and between power and beauty. He
   also symbolizes the discriminative capacities which provide the ability
   to perceive distinctions between truth and illusion, the real and the
   unreal.

   A description of all of the characteristics and attributes of Ganesha
   can be found in the Ganapati Upanishad (an Upanishad dedicated to
   Ganesha) of the rishi Atharva, in which Ganesha is identified with
   Brahman and Atman. This Vedic Hymn also contains one of the most famous
   mantras associated with this divinity: Om Gam Ganapataye Namah
   (literally, I surrender myself to You, Lord of the hosts).

   According to the strict rules of Hindu iconography, Ganesha figures
   with only two hands are taboo. Hence, Ganesha figures are most commonly
   seen with four hands which signify their divinity. Some figures may be
   seen with six, some with eight, some with ten, some with twelve and
   some with fourteen hands, each hand carrying a symbol which differs
   from the symbols in other hands, there being about fifty-seven symbols
   in all, according to some scholars.

   The image of Ganesha is a composite one. Four animals, man, elephant,
   the serpent and the mouse have contributed to the makeup of his figure.
   All of them individually and collectively have deep symbolic
   significance.

The lord of good fortune

   In general terms, Ganesha is a much beloved and frequently invoked
   divinity, since he is the Lord of Good Fortune who provides prosperity
   and fortune and also the Destroyer of Obstacles of a material or
   spiritual order. It is for this reason that his grace is invoked before
   the undertaking of any task (e.g. traveling, taking an examination,
   conducting a business affair, a job interview, performing a ceremony,)
   with such incantations as Aum Shri Ganeshaya Namah (hail the name of
   Ganesha), or similar. It is also for this reason that, traditionally,
   all sessions of bhajan (devotional chanting) begin with an invocation
   of Ganesha, Lord of the "good beginnings" of chants. Throughout India
   and the Hindu culture, Lord Ganesha is the first icon placed into any
   new home or abode.

   Moreover, Ganesha is associated with the first chakra (wheel), which
   represents the instinct of conservation and survival, of procreation
   and material well-being.

Bodily attributes

   A popular representation of Ganesha.
   Enlarge
   A popular representation of Ganesha.

   Every element of the body of Ganesha has its own value and its own
   significance:
     * The elephant head indicates fidelity, intelligence and
       discriminative power;
     * The fact that he has a single tusk (the other being broken off)
       indicates Ganesha’s ability to overcome all forms of dualism;
     * The wide ears denote wisdom, ability to listen to people who seek
       help and to reflect on spiritual truths. They signify the
       importance of listening in order to assimilate ideas. Ears are used
       to gain knowledge. The large ears indicate that when God is known,
       all knowledge is known;
     * the curved trunk indicates the intellectual potentialities which
       manifest themselves in the faculty of discrimination between real
       and unreal;
     * on the forehead, the Trishula (weapon of Shiva, similar to Trident)
       is depicted, symbolising time (past, present and future) and
       Ganesha's mastery over it;
     * Ganesha’s pot belly contains infinite universes. It signifies the
       bounty of nature and equanimity, the ability of Ganesha to swallow
       the sorrows of the Universe and protect the world;
     * the position of his legs (one resting on the ground and one raised)
       indicate the importance of living and participating in the material
       world as well as in the spiritual world, the ability to live in the
       world without being of the world.
     * The four arms of Ganesha represent the four inner attributes of the
       subtle body, that is: mind ( Manas), intellect ( Buddhi), ego (
       Ahamkara), and conditioned conscience ( Chitta). Lord Ganesha
       represents the pure consciousness - the Atman - which enables these
       four attributes to function in us;
          + The hand waving an axe, is a symbol of the retrenchment of all
            desires, bearers of pain and suffering. With this axe Ganesha
            can both strike and repel obstacles. The axe is also to prod
            man to the path of righteousness and truth;
          + The second hand holds a whip, symbol of the force that ties
            the devout person to the eternal beatitude of God. The whip
            conveys that worldly attachments and desires should be rid of;
          + The third hand, turned towards the devotee, is in a pose of
            blessing, refuge and protection ( abhaya);
          + the fourth hand holds a lotus flower ( padma), and it
            symbolizes the highest goal of human evolution, the sweetness
            of the realised inner self.

The lord whose form is OM

   Om or Aum

   Ganesha is also described as Omkara or Aumkara, that is having the form
   of Om. The shape of his body is a copy of the outline of the Devanagari
   letter which indicates the celebrated Bija Mantra. For this reason,
   Ganesha is considered the bodily incarnation of the entire Cosmos, He
   who is at the base of all of the phenomenal world ( Vishvadhara,
   Jagadoddhara). Moreover, in the Tamil language, the sacred syllable is
   indicated precisely by a character which recalls the shape of the
   elephant's head of Ganesha.

Ganesha and the rat

   Ganesha riding on his rat. Note the flowers offered by the devotees. A
   sculpture at the Vaidyeshwara temple at Talakkadu, Karnataka, India
   Enlarge
   Ganesha riding on his rat. Note the flowers offered by the devotees. A
   sculpture at the Vaidyeshwara temple at Talakkadu, Karnataka, India

   According to one interpretation, Ganesha's divine vehicle, the rat or
   mooshikam represents wisdom, talent and intelligence. It symbolizes
   minute investigation of a cryptic subject. A rat leads a secret life
   below the ground. Thus it is also a symbol of ignorance that is
   dominant in darkness and fears light and knowledge. As the vehicle of
   Lord Ganesha, a rat teaches us to remain always on alert and illuminate
   our inner-self with the light of knowledge.

   Both Ganesha and the Mooshak love modaka, a sweet dish which is
   traditionally offered to them both during worship ceremonies. The
   Mooshak is usually depicted as very small in relation to Ganesha, in
   contrast to the depictions of vehicles of other deities. However, it
   was once traditional in Maharashtrian art to depict Mooshak as a very
   large rat, and for Ganesha to be mounted on him like a horse.

   Yet another interpretation says that the rat (Mushika or Akhu)
   represents the ego, the mind with all of its desires, and the pride of
   the individual. Ganesha, riding atop the rat, becomes the master (and
   not the slave) of these tendencies, indicating the power that the
   intellect and the discriminative faculties have over the mind.
   Moreover, the rat (extremely voracious by nature) is often depicted
   next to a plate of sweets with his eyes turned toward Ganesha while he
   tightly holds on to a morsel of food between his paws, as if expecting
   an order from Ganesha. This represents the mind which has been
   completely subordinated to the superior faculty of the intellect, the
   mind under strict supervision, which fixes Ganesha and does not
   approach the food unless it has permission.

   Lastly it is a very evocative presentation of how humble and modest one
   should be. Ganesha in spite of his huge physical, mental and
   intellectual prowess conducts and carries himself so lightly that he
   can very well be carried by a very very small (compared to the size of
   Ganesha) and insignificant being-the rat.

Married or celibate?

   It is interesting to note how, according to tradition, Ganesha was
   generated by his mother Parvati without the intervention of her husband
   Shiva. Shiva, in fact, being eternal (Sadashiva), did not feel any need
   to have children. Consequently, the relationship of Ganesha and his
   mother is unique and special.

   This devotion is the reason that the traditions of southern India
   represent him as celibate (see the anecdote Devotion to his mother). It
   is said that Ganesha, believing his mother to be the most beautiful and
   perfect woman in the universe, exclaimed: "Bring me a woman as
   beautiful as she and I will marry her."

   In the north of India, on the other hand, Ganesha is often portrayed as
   married to the two daughters of Brahma: Riddhi (intellect) and Siddhi
   (spiritual power). Popularly in north India Ganesha is accompanied by
   Sarasvati (goddess of culture and art) and Lakshmi (goddess of luck and
   prosperity), symbolizing that these qualities always accompany he who
   has discovered his own internal divinity. Symbolically this represents
   the fact that wealth, prosperity and success accompany those who have
   the qualities wisdom, prudence, patience, etc. that Ganesha symbolises.

   There is another mythology, especially in Bengal, which goes in that
   Ganesha is married to the Kalabou. The Kalabou is nothing but a banana
   tree draped in traditional white with a Bengali saree with a red
   border. The story goes that, when Ganesha was supposed to marry, one
   day when he came home, he saw his mother Durga eating with all her ten
   hands. Shocked, he asked why is she doing it. Durga replied that if,
   after Ganesha marries, his wife would not give Durga any food, so Durga
   is eating to her heart's content with all ten hands. Feeling very sad,
   Ganesha decided that he would marry a banana tree or Kalabou so that
   her mother never has any worries about food, as a banana tree cannot
   stop her from eating.

   In the early hours of Saptami, the kalabou is taken for a bath to the
   Holy Ganges. Water from the Ganges accompanied with Dhak and Kanshi
   finishes the bathing ceremony. After the bathing ceremony she is
   adorned in a red-bordered white sari and vermilion is smeared on its
   leaves. She is then placed on a decorated pedestal and worshipped with
   flowers, sandalwood paste, and incense sticks. Later she is placed on
   the right side of Lord Ganesh. This is the reason she is popularly
   known as Ganesh's wife.

Etymology and Derivatations of Ganesha

Ganesha as the Head of the Republic

   Image of Pune city god Shree Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati
   Enlarge
   Image of Pune city god Shree Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati

   In North Indian Jat traditions, Ganesha is known as the Lord of the
   Gana (Republic). The word Ganesh is considered by them to formed by
   Gana + īsha, with sandhi at the join. Gana indicates the republic and
   the suffix ish indicates "Lord" or "Head". Ganesh is also known as
   Ganapati, the suffix 'pati' indicating Lord or protector of the
   Republic. According to the beliefs of the Jats, He guided the affairs
   of the republic. Nothing happened in the republic without his
   permission. A marriage ceremony would be performed with his blessings
   and entry to the republic area would be with his permission.

Mythological Anecdotes

How did he obtain his elephant head?

   The highly articulated mythology of Hinduism presents many stories
   which explain how Ganesha obtained his elephant head; often the origin
   of this particular attribute is to be found in the same anecdotes which
   tell about his birth. And many of these same stories reveal the origins
   of the enormous popularity of his cult.

Decapitated and reanimated by Shiva

   The most well-known story is probably the one taken from the Shiva
   Purana. Once, while his mother Parvati wanted to take a bath, there
   were no attendants around to guard her and stop anyone from
   accidentally entering the house. Hence she created an image of a boy
   out of turmeric paste which she prepared to cleanse her body (turmeric
   was used for its antiseptic and cooling properties), and infused life
   into it, and thus Ganesha was born. Parvati ordered Ganesha not to
   allow anyone to enter the house, and Ganesha obediently followed his
   mother's orders. After a while Shiva returned from outside, and as he
   tried to enter the house, Ganesha stopped him. Shiva was infuriated at
   this strange little boy who dared to challenge him. He told Ganesha
   that he was Parvati's husband, and demanded that Ganesha let him go in.
   But Ganesha would not hear any person's word other than his dear
   mother's. Shiva lost his patience and had a fierce battle with Ganesha.
   At last he severed Ganesha's head with his Trishula ( trident). When
   Parvati came out and saw her son's lifeless body, she was very angry
   and sad. She demanded that Shiva restore Ganesha's life at once.

   Unfortunately, Shiva's Trishula was so powerful that it had hurled
   Ganesha's head very far off. All attempts to find the head were in
   vain. As a last resort, Shiva approached Brahma who suggested that he
   replace Ganesha's head with the first living being that came his way
   which lay with its head facing north. Shiva then sent his celestial
   armies ( Gana) to find and take the head of whatever creature they
   happened to find asleep with its head facing north. They found a dying
   elephant which slept in this manner, and after its death took its head,
   attaching the elephant's head to Ganesha's body and bringing him back
   to life. From then on, he was called Ganapathi, or head of the
   celestial armies, and was to be worshipped by everyone before beginning
   any activity.

Shiva and Gajasura

   This statue of Ganesha was created in the Mysore District of Karnataka
   in the 13th century.
   Enlarge
   This statue of Ganesha was created in the Mysore District of Karnataka
   in the 13th century.

   Another story regarding the origins of Ganesha and his elephant head
   narrates that, once, there existed an Asura (demon) with all the
   characteristics of an elephant, called Gajasura, who was undergoing a
   penitence (or tapas). Shiva, satisfied by this austerity, decided to
   grant him, as a reward, whatever gift he desired. The demon wished that
   he could emanate fire continually from his own body so that no one
   could ever dare to approach him. The Lord granted him his request.
   Gajasura continued his penitence and Shiva, who appeared in front of
   him from time to time, asked him once again what he desired. The demon
   responded: "I desire that You inhabit my stomach."

   Shiva granted even this request and he took up residence in the demon's
   stomach. In fact, Shiva is also known as Bhola Shankara because he is a
   deity easily propitiated; when he is satisfied with a devotee he grants
   him whatever he desires, and this, from time to time, generates
   particularly intricate situations. It was for this reason that Parvati,
   his wife, sought him everywhere without results. As a last recourse,
   she went to her brother Vishnu, asking him to find her husband. He, who
   knows everything, reassured her: "Don't worry, dear sister, your
   husband is Bhola Shankara and promptly grants to his devotees whatever
   they ask of him, without regard for the consequences; for this reason,
   I think he has gotten himself into some trouble. I will find out what
   has happened."

   Then Vishnu, the omniscient director of the cosmic game, staged a small
   comedy. He transformed Nandi (the bull of Shiva) into a dancing bull
   and conducted him in front of Gajasura, assuming, at the same time, the
   appearance of a flutist. The enchanting performance of the bull sent
   the demon into ecstasies, and he asked the flutist to tell him what he
   desired. The musical Vishnua responded: "Can you give me that which I
   ask?" Gajasura replied: "Who do you take me for? I can immediately give
   you whatever you ask." The flutist then said: "If that's so, liberate
   Shiva from your stomach." Gajasura understood then that this must have
   been no other than Vishnu himself, the only one who could have known
   that secret and he threw himself at his feet. Having liberated Shiva,
   he asked him for one last gift: "I have been blessed by you with many
   gifts; my last request is that everyone remember me adoring my head
   when I am dead." Shiva then brought his own son there and substitued
   his head with that of Gajasura. From then on, in India, the tradition
   is that any action, in order to prosper, must begin with the adoration
   of Ganesha. This is the result of the gift of Shiva to Gajasura.

The gaze of Shani

   A less well-known story from the Brahma Vaivarta Purana narrates a
   different version of Ganesha's birth. On the insistence of Shiva,
   Parvati fasted for a year (punyaka vrata) to propitiate Vishnu so that
   he would grant her a son. Lord Vishnu, after the completion of the
   sacrifice, announced that he would incarnate himself as her son in
   every kalpa (eon). Accordingly, Krishna was born to Parvati as a
   charming infant. This event was celebrated with great enthusiasm and
   all the gods were invited to take a look at the baby. However Shani
   (Saturn), the son of Surya, hesitated to look at the baby since Shani
   was cursed with the gaze of destruction. However Parvati insisted that
   he look at the baby, which Shani did, and immediately the infant's head
   fell off and flew to Goloka. Seeing Shiva and Parvati grief stricken,
   Vishnu mounted on Garuda, his divine eagle, and rushed to the banks of
   the Pushpa-Bhadra river, from where he brought back the head of a young
   elephant. The head of the elephant was joined with the headless body of
   Parvati's son, thus reviving him. The infant was named Ganesha and all
   the Gods blessed Ganesha and wished Him power and prosperity..

Other versions

   Another tale of Ganesha's birth relates to an incident in which Shiva
   slew Aditya, the son of a sage. Shiva restored life to the dead boy,
   but this could not pacify the outraged sage Kashyapa, who was one of
   the seven great Rishis. Kashyap cursed Shiva and declared that Shiva's
   son would lose his head. When this happened, the head of Indra's
   elephant was used to replace it.

   Still another tale states that on one occasion, Parvati's used
   bath-water was thrown into the Ganges, and this water was drunk by the
   elephant-headed Goddess Malini, who gave birth to a baby with four arms
   and five elephant heads. The river goddess Ganga claimed him as her
   son, but Shiva declared him to be Parvati's son, reduced his five heads
   to one and enthroned him as the Controller of obstacles (Vigneshwara).

How did Ganesha's tusk break off?

   There are various anecdotes which explain how Ganesha broke off one of
   his tusks.

Ganesha the scribe

   In the first part of the epic poem Mahabharata, it is written that the
   sage Vyasa asked Ganesha to transcribe the poem as he dictated it to
   him. Ganesha agreed, but only on the condition that Vyasa recite the
   poem uninterruptedly, without pausing. The sage, in his turn, posed the
   condition that Ganesha would not only have to write, but would have to
   understand everything that he heard before writing it down. In this
   way, Vyasa might recuperate a bit from his continuous talking by simply
   reciting a difficult verse which Ganesha could not understand. The
   dictation began, but in the rush of writing Ganesha's feather pen
   broke. He broke off a tusk and used it as a pen so that the
   transcription could proceed without interruption, permitting him to
   keep his word.

Ganesha and Parashurama

   One day Parashurama, an avatar of Vishnu, went to pay a visit to Shiva,
   but along the way he was blocked by Ganesha. Parashurama hurled himself
   at Ganesha with his axe and Ganesha (knowing that this axe was given to
   him by Shiva) allowed himself out of respect to be struck and lost his
   tusk as a result.

Ganesha and the Moon

   It is said that one day Ganesha, after having received from many of his
   devotees an enormous amount of sweets (Modak), in order to better
   digest this incredible mass of food, decided to go for a ride. He got
   on the mouse which he used as his vehicle and took off. It was a
   magnificent night and the moon was resplendent. Suddenly a snake
   appeared out of nowhere and nearly frightened the mouse to death,
   causing it to jump and Ganesha was thrown off his mount. Ganesha's huge
   stomach smashed against the ground so forcefully that it burst open and
   all of the sweets that he had eaten were scattered around him.
   Nonetheless, he was too intelligent to get angry about this accident
   and, without wasting any time in useless lamentations, he tried to
   remedy the situation as best he could. He took the serpent which had
   caused the accident and used it as a belt to keep his stomach closed
   and bandage the injury. Satisfied by this solution, he remounted his
   mouse and continued his excursion. Chandradev (Moon God) saw the whole
   scene and laughed. Ganesha, being the short-tempered one, cursed
   Chandradev for his arrogance and breaking off one of his tusks, hurled
   it against the Moon, slashing its luminous face in two. He then cursed
   it, decreeing that anyone who happens to see the moon will incur bad
   luck. Hearing this, Chandradev realised his folly and asked for
   forgiveness from Ganesha. Ganesha relented and since a curse cannot be
   revoked, only softened it. Ganesha softened his curse such that the
   moon would wax and wane in intensity every fifteen days and anyone who
   looks at the moon during Ganesh Chaturthi would incur bad-luck. This
   explains why, in certain moments, the light of the Moon goes off and
   then begins gradually to reappear; but its face appears whole only for
   a brief period of time, since it is once again "broken" in half to the
   point of disappearing.

Ganesha, head of the celestial armies

   Statue of Ganesha with a flower
   Enlarge
   Statue of Ganesha with a flower

   There once took place a great competition between the Devas to decide
   who among them should be the head of the Gana (the troops of semi-gods
   at the service of Shiva). The competitors were required to circle the
   world as fast as possible and return to the Feet of Shiva. The gods
   took off, each on his or her own vehicle, and even Ganesha participated
   with enthusiasm in the race; but he was extremely heavy and was riding
   on a mouse! Naturally, his pace was remarkably slow and this was a
   great disadvantage. He had not yet made much headway when there
   appeared before him the sage Narada (son of Brahma), who asked him
   where he was going. Ganesha was very annoyed and went into a rage
   because it was considered unlucky to encounter a solitary Brahmin just
   at the beginning of a voyage. Not withstanding the fact that Narada was
   the greatest of Brahmins, son of Brahma himself, this was still a bad
   omen. Moreover, it wasn't considered a good sign to be asked where one
   was heading when one was already on the way to some destination;
   therefore, Ganesha felt doubly unfortunate. Nonetheless, the great
   Brahmin succeeded in calming his fury. Ganesha explained to him the
   motives for his sadness and his terrible desire to win. Narada consoled
   and exhorted him not to despair.

   Ganesha returned to his father, who asked him how he was able to finish
   the race so quickly. Ganesha told him of his encounter with Narada and
   of the Brahmin's counsel. Shiva, satisfied with this response,
   pronouned his son the winner and, from that moment on, he was acclaimed
   with the name of Ganapati (Conductor of the celestial armies) and
   Vinayaka (Lord of all beings).

Ganesha's appetite

   Ganesha is also known as the destroyer of vanity, egoism and pride.

   One anecdote, taken from the Purana, narrates that the treasurer of
   Svarga (paradise) and god of wealth, Kubera, went one day to Mount
   Kailasa in order to receive the darshan (vision) of Shiva. Since he was
   extremely vain, he invited Shiva to a feast in his fabulous city,
   Alakapuri, so that he could show off to him all of his wealth. Shiva
   smiled and said to him: "I cannot come, but you can invite my son
   Ganesha. But I warn you that he is a voracious eater." Unperturbed,
   Kubera felt confident that he could satisfy even the most insatiable
   appetite, like that of Ganesha, with his opulence. He took the little
   son of Shiva with him into his great city. There, he offered him a
   ceremonial bath and dressed him in sumptuous clothing. After these
   initial rites, the great banquet began. While the servants of Kubera
   were working themselves to the bone in order to bring the portions, the
   little Ganesha just continued to eat and eat and eat.... His appetite
   did not decrease even after he had devoured the servings which were
   destined for the other guests. There was not even time to substitute
   one plate with another because Ganesha had already devoured everything,
   and with gestures of impatience, continued waiting for more food.
   Having devoured everything which had been prepared, Ganesha began
   eating the decorations, the tableware, the furniture, the
   chandelier.... Terrified, Kubera prostrated himself in front of the
   little omnivorous one and supplicated him to spare him, at least, the
   rest of the palace.

   "I am hungry. If you don't give me something else to eat, I will eat
   you as well!", he said to Kubera. Desperate, Kubera rushed to mount
   Kailasa to ask Shiva to remedy the situation. The Lord then gave him a
   handful of roasted rice, saying that something as simple as a handful
   of roasted rice would satiate Ganesha, if it was offered with humility
   and love. Ganesha had swallowed up almost the entire city when Kubera
   finally arrived and humbly gave him the rice. With that, Ganesha was
   finally satisfied and calmed.

Ganesha's reverence for his parents

   Once there was a competition between Ganesha and his brother Murugan as
   to who could circumbulate the three worlds faster and hence win the
   fruit of knowledge. Murugan went off on a journey to cover the three
   worlds while Ganesha simply circumbulated his parents. When asked why
   he did so, he answered that his parents Shiva and Parvati constituted
   the three worlds, and was given the fruit of knowledge.

Devotion to his mother

   While playing, once, Ganesha wounded a cat. When he returned home he
   found a wound in his Mother's body. He enquired how she got hurt.
   Mother Parvati replied that this was caused by none other than Ganesha
   himself! Surprised, Ganesha wanted to know when he hurt her. Parvati
   explained that She as Divine Power was immanent in all beings. When he
   wounded the cat she was hurt. Ganesha realised that all women were
   veritable manifestations of his Mother. He decided not to marry. That's
   how he remained a brahmachari, a life-long celibate, following the
   strict rules of Brahmacharya. However, in some scriptures and images
   Ganesha is often portrayed as married to the two daughters of Brahma:
   Riddhi (Knowledge) and Siddhi (Perfection).

Festivals and worship of Ganesha

   Immersion of Ganesh murti at Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai
   Enlarge
   Immersion of Ganesh murti at Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai

   In India, there is an important festival honouring Lord Ganesha. While
   it is most popular in the state of Maharashtra, it is performed all
   over India. It is celebrated for ten days starting from Ganesh
   Chaturthi. This festival is celebrated and it culminates on the day of
   Ananta Chaturdashi when the murti of Lord Ganesha is immersed into the
   most convenient body of water. In Mumbai (earlier known as Bombay), the
   murti is immersed in the Arabian Sea and in Pune the Mula-Mutha river.
   In various North and East Indian cities, like Kolkata, they are
   immersed in the holy Ganga river. One who really wants to taste the
   festival needs to come down to the city of Mumbai; particularly at
   Lalbaug where the divine idol of Lalbaugcha raja (The Lord Of Lalbaug,
   as Ganesha is fondly called) is set. The Ganesha festival starts on
   Ganesh Chaturthi (fourth day of Hindu calendar month Bhadrapada) and
   ends on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of Bhadrapada).

   While the Ganapati festival is celebrated by Hindus throughout the
   Country with great devotional fervour, in Mumbai, the Country’s richest
   and most populated city, the festival assumes awesome proportions. On
   the last day of the festival, millions of people of all ages descend
   onto the streets leading up to the sea, dancing and singing, to the
   rhythmic accompaniment of drums and cymbals . The town of Pen in Raigad
   district of Maharashtra is famous for producing the most beautiful
   Ganesh murtis(idols). The skilled artists from this town make Ganesh
   murtis all around the year to meet the demand of the murtis in Ganesh
   festival.
   Celebrations of Ganesh by the Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil community in
   Paris, France
   Enlarge
   Celebrations of Ganesh by the Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil community in
   Paris, France

Popularity of Ganesha

   Ganesha has two Siddhis (symbolically represented as wives or
   consorts): Siddhi (success) and Riddhi (prosperity). It is widely
   believed that "Wherever there is Ganesh, there is Success and
   Prosperity" and "Wherever there is Success and Prosperity there is
   Ganesh". This is why Ganesh is believed to be the harbinger of good
   fortune, and why he is invoked first at any ritual or ceremony. Whether
   it is diwali puja, a new house, a new vehicle, students praying before
   the exams, or people praying before job interviews, it is Ganesha they
   pray to, because it is believed that he will come to their aid and
   grant them success in their endeavor.

The names of Ganesha

   108 Names of Lord Ganesha
   http://www.thesindhuworld.com/rf_lordganesha108names.htm
   Statue of Ganesha photographed in London during the holiday of Diwali.
   Enlarge
   Statue of Ganesha photographed in London during the holiday of Diwali.

   Like other devas (Hindu male deities) and devis (female deities),
   Ganesha has many other titles of respect or symbolic names, and is
   often worshipped through the chanting of the Ganesha Sahasranama, which
   literally means A thousand names of Ganesha. The Ganesha Sahasranama is
   part of the Ganesha Purana, a Hindu mythological text that venerates
   Ganesha. Each name in the Sahasranama conveys a different meaning and
   symbolises a different aspect of Ganesha.

Other meanings

   In India an elephant with one tusk is sometimes called a "ganesh".

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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