Ganesh

Popular elephant god and one of Hinduism's five primary deities

Hinduism is the predominant religious faith in India with roughly 80% of the population practicing. Worldwide, it is estimated that there are over a billion followers, making it the third largest religion. Hinduism is also known as Sanatana Dharma meaning "everlasting truth." Even though it is classified as a religion, it is considered by many to be a way of life, combining philosophical, religious, and cultural ideologies and practices. Karma, idol worship, and reincarnation play a central role in the Hindu belief system. Many of the central tenets of Hinuism are written in the Bhagavad Gita.

Idol worship encompasses many deities known as devis (gods) and devas (goddesses). There are over 25 of these divine beings. However, they are all one and the same general god of divine energy. Only a few of these gods and goddesses are worshiped at a time, with each Hindu having their favorites to pray to during prayer times.

Sri Ganesh is one of the five prime Hindu deities or panchayatana puja. The others include Brahma, the Creator God of the Trinity, Vishnu, the Preserver, Shiva, the Destroyer and Durgha, the Divine Protectoress. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. He was created by Parvati when Shiva was away to guard and protect her. When Shiva returned, Ganesh would not let him pass, so Shiva got angry and cut his head off. When Shiva saw how distraught Parvati was, he promised her that he would replace the boy's head with the first creature that came along. The next visitor was an elephant, whose head Shiva promptly cut off and placed on the boy's body. He also bestowed the powers of a god upon Ganesh to appease Parvati. He is arguably the most popular of the Hindu gods, generally being the first god to be worshiped in any prayer. He is also greatly admired by non-Hindus.

Ganesh, or Ganesha is the Lord of Success. Prior to any starting any new projects or relationships, devout Hindus worship him to remove any obstacles to success. He is also the God of wisdom, knowledge, wealth, fertility, domestic harmony, happiness, education, and celibacy and Destroyer of pride, vanity, and selfishness. It is not difficult to see why he is the most popular of all the gods. Typically, a statue of Ganesh is placed in the center and the other four deities are placed around him.

There are many stories of Ganesh's spiritual nature. One in particular involves his brother, Kartikay. They were given the task of racing around the universe, the winner being proclaimed the Lord of all existing beings. Instead of rushing off like Kartikay, Ganesh simply walked around his parents, Shiva and Parvati, declaring them to be the source of all existence. He is applauded by all of the deities for his rational and innately spiritual thought processes.

Depictions of the elephant god are filled with rich symbolism. His large head implies deep wisdom and the Atman, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence. His trunk represents Om, symbol of cosmic reality. The trunk can be use for the biggest tasks and the most delicate, symbolic of his power of discrimination. His elephant ears signify listening to any and all of those who make appeals to him. He has a potbelly which can mean either he swallows the sorrows of the universe or is evidence of nature's bounty. His body indicates earthly existence and is wrapped in a cobra. The cobra reminds Hindus that he is the son of Shiva and as such has control over all vices.

He typically has four hands. However, he can be shown to have six, eight, 10, 12, or even 14 hands each carrying a symbol. For Hindus, it is taboo to depict Ganesh with only two hands. In the right lower hand, he carries a piece of broken tusk representing sacrifice, which he broke writing the Mahabharata (one of two major Sanskrit epics). His right upper hand carries an elephant goad, which prods mankind to move forward instead of backward on the eternal path of enlightenment. The rosary in his left hand means that the pursuit of knowledge should be never ending. The noose in the other hand is meant to capture any and all difficulties and in some circles, indicates that worldly goods are a noose around the neck. The mouse upon which he rides demonstrates Ganesh's agility and humility, indicating how important even the tiniest of creatures can be.

The marital status of Ganesh is open to a great debate. In South India, he is celibate due to his total and absolute devotion to his mother. Legend has it that if another woman was found that was as beautiful and perfect as she was, then he would marry her. In North India, however, he has two brides, the daughters of Brahma, Buddhi and Siddhi. Buddhi signifies wisdom while Siddhi indicates achievement.

While there are many different interpretations of the god Ganesh, one thing remains clear. He is the remover of obstacles. He is one deity whose entire purpose is for the spiritual benefit of the believer. His qualities and philosophies still hold as true today as they did thousands of years ago when many diverse religions and philosophies came together to create the rich spiritual belief system known as Hinduism.