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Hindu God Ganesha |
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The Hindu God Ganesha is also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka. Ganesha is one of the best-known and most-worshipped deities among the Hindu Gods. He is worshipped throughout India and his image is found throughout India. Hindu sectarians worship him regardless of other associations. Devotion to this Hindu God Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Buddhists, Jains and also beyond India. Although known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him most easily identifiable. Ganesha is widely idolized as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings. Hence He is called Vighnesha, Vighneshvara and Vignaharta.
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He is also regarded as a patron of art and sciences, and also as the Deva or supporter of intellect and wisdom.
He is worshipped at the beginning of every rituals and ceremonies and invoked as the Patron of Letters in the writing sessions. There are several texts and mythological anecdotes that are associated with the birth of Ganesh and also explain the idea behind this iconography. Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity, during the Gupta Period, in the 4th and 5th centuries. He inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. His popularity rose quickly, and he was formally included among the five primary deities of Hinduism in the 9th century.A sect of devotees called the Ganapatya, identified Ganesha as the supreme deity, during this period of time.
The principal scriptures dedicated to this Hindu God Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the the Ganapati Atharvashirsa and the Mudgala Purana. Ganesha has many other epithets and titles, like Ganapati and Vigneshvara. The Hindu title of respect “Shri” or “Shree” is often added before His name. One popular way of worshipping Ganesha is by chanting a Ganesha Sahasranama, a prayer that consists of thousand names of Ganesha. Each name in the sahasranama carries a different meaning and typifies a different aspect of Ganesha.
Two different versions of the Ganesha Sahasranama exist. One of the versions is drawn from the Ganesha Purana, a Hindu scripture respectful of Ganesha. Vinayaka is the most common name for Hindu God Ganesha that appears in the Buddhist Tantras and Puran. This name is manifested in the naming of the eight famous Ganesha temples in Maharashtra known as the Astavinayaka. The names Vigneshvara and Vignesha refer to his primary role in Hindu mythology as the creator and remover of obstacles.
The Hindu God Ganesha is also a popular figure in Indian art. He is portrayed as standing, sitting down, dancing, playing with his family as a boy, heroically taking action against demons or engaging in a range of contemporary situations.The earliest Ganesha images are without a vahana or mount. Of the eight incarnations of Ganesha described in the Mudgala Purana, shows that Ganesha has a mouse, another incarnation uses a lion in his incarnation as Vakratunda, Shesha or the divine serpent, in his incarnation as Vighnaraja and a peacock in his incarnation of Vikata.
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