Winner of chosen paths and remover of obstacles - Ganesha

April 13, 2017

Winner of chosen paths and remover of obstacles - Ganesha

Ganesha, the elephant headed Hindu god, is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, he is a universal god, and many worship him regardless of religious affiliation.* Since he is the god of beginnings, many rituals start with a prayer to Ganesha. Most common depictions of Ganesha include a pot belly, a broken tusk and four arms, three of them holding an elephant goad, a rope and a sweetmeat. His lower right hand is in a blessing mudra (symbolic hand gesture). Legend is that Ganesha broke this tusk to write down the Mahabharata - one of two Sanskrit epics of ancient India. Ganesha also has a tiny pet vehicle, a mouse.

Ganesha painting kalamkari style

Ganesha painting Kalamkari style

Symbolism of Ganesha

Goad - helps steer you away from ignorance just like a mahout would steer an elephant from a treacherous path
Rope - helps remove obstacles and pulls you closer to your spiritual path
Sweetmeat - a sweet reward for a life well lived
Mudra - blessings and protection as you journey through life
Broken tusk - symbolizes sacrifice for a good cause, to urge you to keep the good and throw away the bad
Mouse - to help you overcome fear, indecision and anxiety

Tanjore painting of Ganesha British museum

Ganesha painting Tanjore style with perm British Museum

Ganesh Chaturthi is an annual festival which honors Ganesha and is celebrated in late summer. I fondly recall the ritual of shopping for a clay idol of Ganesha at the bazaar the evening before Ganesh Chaturthi, to symbolize welcoming Ganesha into our homes. We then enjoyed decorating the clay statue and eating yummy kolukattai (sweetmeats). On the third day we immersed the statue in the well behind our house (clay is returned back to earth). In many parts of India the festival is celebrated for 10 days.

ganesh chathurthi celebrated with lights clay Ganesha

How did Ganesha get his elephant head?

Ganesha’s story starts with Shiva’s return from his journey to resolve disorder in the world. When Parvati heard about her beloved Shiva’s return, she prepares to welcome him and gets ready to bathe. Since there were no guards available she crafted a boy from turmeric sandalwood paste, named him Ganesha, and told him not to let anyone disturb her. When Shiva arrived, Ganesha did not recognize him and therefore did not let him pass by. In anger, Shiva chopped off the boy’s head. Parvathi was inconsolable at the loss of her child, so Shiva sent his ganas (attendants) to find a replacement head. They searched for the first living thing sleeping with its head lying to the north (devotees of Shiva look towards his abode in Mt. Kailash in the north). The ganas returned with the head of an elephant, and Shiva used this head to reconstruct Ganesha - leader of ganas.

Since then, he has been revered as the god of success and remover of obstacles; and is regarded as the guiding force behind intellect, learning and wisdom.

reclining Ganesha carved in stone

In my family, we call upon Ganesha as our guide whenever we start something new. We pray to Ganesha when we face obstacles and remember that all will be well in the future. A few years ago, as I explored my roots my aunt told me about our ancestral Vinayagar temple in Kottar, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu. This temple, which my great grandfather was instrumental in building, is called sendra thisai vendra vinayagar koil (winner of all chosen paths and directions). It’s my favorite now, and I visit every time I travel to India. This temple of my ancestors makes me feel that Ganesha is with me whichever direction my life takes me.

Ganesha winner of all chosen paths and obstacle remover