Unique Attributes : Wisdom, prosperity,
eradicator of obstacles.
Parents : Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati
Vahana (Vehicle) : Mouse
Other Names : Ganpati, Ekdanta, Vighneshvara, Gajanan, Vinayak.
Principal Scriptures : Ganesha Purana, Mudgala Purana, Ganapati
Atharvashirsa.
Mula Mantra : Om Gan Ganpate Namah
The elephant deity riding the mouse is the Hindu god Ganesha son of
Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. In Hindu tradition all worship and
auspicious tasks begin with the invocation of Lord Ganesha, which has
earned him the epithet of Vighnesha. Ganapati is also revered as the
eradicator of all obstacles and hence is called Vighneshvara. Ganesh has
a huge pot bellied human figure with an elephant head and a curved
trunk. His vehicle the mouse is quite a tiny creature in contrast to his
imposing physical form. This portly lord is venerated as the god of
wisdom (buddhi), success (riddhi) and spiritual power (siddhi).
The Mula Mantra Om Gan Ganpataye Namah is always chanted by a believer
when he is pleased or in trouble to thank or seek his blessings
respectively. Lord Ganesha is also one of the five principal Hindu gods
whose worship was popularized by Adi Shankaracharya; the other four gods
are Shiva, Vishnu, Surya and goddess Durga. Ganesha's physical form is
denoted a deeper spiritual meaning in the Puranas and other ancient
religious texts. Lord Ganesha's head signifies the 'atman' (soul) or the
highest reality and his body represent 'maya' the principle of unique
existence. Ganesha is also venerated by the Buddhists as Vinayak and by
the Jains as a form of Lord Kuber.
The term Ganesha literally means the lord of 'gana', hence the god is
truly hailed as the almighty of the people or commoners. The festival
associated with the Vighneshvara is 'Ganesha Chaturthi' which is
celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha and it is believed that the
Lord himself comes down to earth to bless his believers. In Maharashtra
it is the biggest festival of the state, celebrated for ten long days on
a grand scale by people belonging to different faiths with a spirit
which is unparalleled.