Ganesha

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The popularity enjoyed by Ganesha across the land is due to the attributes possessed by the god as the 'Remover of Obstacles, the 'Lord of Good Fortune, or the 'Master of Wisdom and Intellect, amongst others. Ganpati is depicted as seated, standing, or dancing and generally having four arms that hold his characteristic attributes - a modak or a laddu, a broken tusk, an axe or a goad, and a noose. Each of these accruements has its own significance.

His renown and fame led to the Ganpatiya sect which acknowledged him as the Supreme Deity. It spawned six variants, literature about the god, and his 32 forms. His pre-eminence has established that Ganesha is the first god to be worshipped in any religious ceremony. For the Peshwas of Maharashtra, the god was their kuldevatha and the epicentre of his worship became Pune, around which the Ashtavinayaka temples came up. Lokmanya Tilak used the importance of Ganesha to garner support against British rule. Ganesha is today worshipped all over India and the festival of Ganesha Chaturthi in the month of Bhadra is celebrated across the land.

Dr. H N Bajaj is a man with varied interests. He is a medical professional, a spine surgeon, a novelist, and a keen gardener, with extensive knowledge of cacti, bonsai, and assorted plants. He enjoys reading and writing about religious iconography and has published books on Hindu mythology, two medical textbooks, and papers in peer-reviewed journals.

He is fond of dogs, and as far as he can remember he has always shared his life with them. He is passionate about travel, good food, and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Ganesha lives in the hearts of millions, not just in India, but in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, and wherever the Indian diaspora exists. The god with the head of an elephant, a large pot belly, and four arms that hold a variety of accruements, is regarded as the remover of obstacles; his blessings are petitioned for an auspicious start to any new task. He is the deity that is invoked by all for his bounties. His luster is enhanced by the presence of his consorts Riddhi, meaning ability, Siddhi, meaning intellect, and his children Labha, meaning profit, and Ksema, meaning prosperity. His association with Lakshmi the goddess of luck and prosperity only adds to his stature.

Ganpati is seen in paintings and in sculptures, seated, standing, or dancing In general, he is shown as having four arms, that hold his characteristic attributes - a modak or a laddu, a broken tusk, an ax or a goad, and a noose. Symbolically, his elephant head signifies wisdom, the ears hear everything, and each accruement has its own significance.