A Monograph on the Elephant-headed God Ganesha: The Mythological Concept and Distinct Iconography

Abstract

Ganesha is one of the most important deities of the Hindu pantheon. Worshipping him at the beginning of all the rituals has made him popular than many other divinities. He is widely revered as the ‘remover of obstacles’. He is worshipped all over India and commands such a distinguished position that it is essential to worship him before the commencement of every act considered good life, whether religious, social, cultural, academic or commercial. Ganapati is worshipped by both Vaishnavas (devotees of Vishnu) and Saivites (devotees of Shiva). Ganesha is the God of Good Luck and Auspiciousness and is the Dispeller of problems and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the God of wisdom, wealth, health, celibacy, fertility and happiness. The rise of Ganapatya sect was a significant departure from the traditional Saivism and it coincided with the rise of tantric form of worship in ancient India some time during the post Gupta period. Ganesha appears as a distinct deity in a clearly recognizable form beginning in the 4th to 5th centuries A.D., during the Gupta Period. Today, Ganesha is one of the most worshipped divinities in India. The devotion of Ganesha is widely diffused and it extends to Jains, Buddhists and others beyond India. Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits, and explain his distinct iconography. There are various names, forms and incarnations of Ganesha in many Puranas. The idols and temples of Ganesha are found all over the world. The present paper will discuss the mythological concept of his birth and distinct symbolism of Ganesha cited in the Puranas.