Introduction
Ganesha is one of the best-known and most widely worshipped gods of Hinduism. He has the head of an elephant on a human body with a large belly, and is the god of beginnings, the remover of obstacles (Vighnaharta), and the patron of learning, writing and commerce. He is worshipped at the start of nearly every ritual, journey, business venture and new project. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati.
Images of Ganesha are found across India, in Nepal, Sri Lanka, South-East Asia, and in Buddhist and Jain contexts. He is one of the few Hindu deities who is worshipped in essentially the same way by almost all Hindu traditions.
Family
Names and epithets
- Ganapati and Ganesha, "lord of the Ganas", Shiva's attendants
- Vinayaka, "the remover" or "leader", and Vighneshvara, "lord of obstacles"
- Ekadanta, "one tusk", Lambodara, "big belly", Gajanana, "elephant-faced" and Vakratunda, "curved trunk"
- Pillaiyar in Tamil Nadu, and Ganpati Bappa in Maharashtra
- Traditional lists include 108 names, and there are 32 classical forms.
Origins
The origin of Ganesha as a distinct deity is a subject of scholarly study. Early Vedic texts speak of Ganapati, "lord of hosts", as an epithet of Brihaspati or Brahmanaspati, but this is not the elephant-headed god. The four Vinayakas, troublesome spirits who cause obstacles, appear in the Grihya Sutras and the Mahabharata. Images of Ganesha as a major god appear from about the fourth to fifth century CE, in the Gupta period. By the medieval period he had his own literature, such as the Ganesha Purana and Mudgala Purana, and a sect, the Ganapatyas.
Iconography
Ganesha is commonly shown with an elephant head, one broken tusk, a large belly and four arms. His hands usually hold a goad (ankusha), a noose (pasha), a sweet (modaka) and one is raised in blessing. His vehicle is a mouse or rat (Mushika). The mouse, a small creature that gets into everything, is understood as Ganesha's power over obstacles. The large ears are said to be for listening, and the small mouth for restraint in speech.
Stories of birth
Several stories are told. In the best-known version, in the Shiva Purana and later texts, Parvati made a boy out of the paste from her body and set him to guard the door while she bathed. When Shiva returned and the boy refused to let him in, Shiva's attendants fought him, and Shiva cut off his head in anger. Seeing Parvati's grief, Shiva promised to replace it with the head of the first creature he found, an elephant. He also made the boy the first among the gods to be worshipped.
In other versions, Ganesha was born from Shiva's laughter, or the glance of Shani burned his head off (Brahmavaivarta Purana).
Stories of the tusk
Ganesha has one tusk, and the origin is explained in several stories. In one, he broke it off to write down the Mahabharata as the sage Vyasa dictated it, on condition that Vyasa would never stop. This story is not in the critical edition of the epic. In another, in the Brahmavaivarta Purana, Parashurama attacked him with his axe, which Ganesha respected because it was a gift from his father Shiva, and let it break his tusk.
Other stories
- The race around the world: Ganesha and Kartikeya were asked to race around the world, and Kartikeya flew off on his peacock. Ganesha walked around his parents, saying that they were his world, and won.
- Kubera's feast: Kubera, proud of his wealth, invited Ganesha to dinner, and Ganesha's hunger emptied Kubera's whole treasury, until Kubera was humbled.
- In Tamil Nadu: in a story, Ganesha in the form of a crow overturned the water pot of the sage Agastya and gave rise to the river Kaveri.
Worship and festivals
Ganesha is worshipped at the beginning of any ritual, and in temples his image is often at the entrance. His special sweet is the modaka, and he is offered durva grass and red flowers. His day is Tuesday in some traditions and Wednesday in others.
The major festival is Ganesh Chaturthi, on the fourth day of the bright half of Bhadrapada (August or September). Clay images are installed at home and in public pandals for one to eleven days and then immersed in water. The public celebration was popularised in Maharashtra by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1893, as a way to bring communities together. The eight Ashtavinayaka temples around Pune are the best-known pilgrimage of Ganesha. Siddhivinayak in Mumbai is another famous shrine.
Meaning
Ganesha is understood as the god of thresholds, who makes it possible to begin, and who also creates obstacles when needed. His elephant head symbolises wisdom and strength, and his combination of human and animal forms reflects the unity of all beings.
Beyond Hinduism and India
Ganesha is found in Buddhism, in Tibet, China and Japan (as Kangiten or Shoten), and in Thailand (Phra Phikanet), Cambodia and Indonesia. He appears on Indonesian banknotes and is a symbol of Java. He is also found in Jain temples.