Ganesha–the Remover of Obstacles
WHO IS LORD GANESHA
One of the most revered and widely loved gods of the Hindu belief, Lord Ganesha is known and worshipped by many all across the world. If one were to translate literally, the word Ganesha comprises of two words: Gana and isha, the former meaning a group of individuals and the latter meaning lord, making Ganesha the Lord of the Ganas. Ganesha can very easily be recognized by one of his most striking features: an elephant head.
THE BIRTH OF GANESHA
It is said that Ganesha is the product of the unity of Lord Shiva and the Goddess Parvati. The story goes something like this: the tale claims that since Parvati wanted privacy while she took a bath, she created a little boy out of the dirt on her body when Shiva was gone and called him her son. She told him that he was to guard her privacy as she bathed. When Shiva returned and wished to enter the house, the little boy stopped him from going inside. This marked the initiation of a battle between the two which eventually resulted in the boy’s head being chopped off as Shiva did not know the boy was his son.
When Parvati came about and saw what had happened, she became enraged and threatened to destroy the heavens and the Earth. So to console her, Shiva sent out his army called ganas to bring the head of the first living being they found. They found a baby elephant and thus Ganesha was born, a little boy with an elephant’s head.
THE SYMBOLISM BEHIND GANESHA
As is with all Hindu gods and deities, the iconography of Ganesha is hidden with a plethora of symbols that give meaning to his form and portrait in accordance with his character and role in the mechanics of the world. Following are some of the most prominent symbolic features of the Lord Ganesha:
Elephant Head
The elephant head shows that Ganesha has all the attributes of an elephant: intellect, auspiciousness, strength, loyalty, gentleness, and a loving nature. It shows that while Ganesha is a very loving deity and shows kindness towards his believers, he can also destroy all evil singlehandedly.
Single Tusk
One of the most striking feature of this god is that it only has one tusk on its elephant head. There are lots of theories and stories as to why this is so but they all point to positive attributes one should adopt such as the spirit of sacrifice for the greater good and a singular direction of life towards good.
Hands
Ganesha typically has four hands although they may range from anywhere between two to sixteen and many more. It is, however, considered taboo by many for Ganesha to have just two hands. The position and contents he is holding in his hands are also symbolic. He is is shown to be carrying an Ankusa (goad) and a Paasha (noose) in two of his hands which signify awakening and control respectively, showing that both go hand in hand. He is also shown to be holding his broken tusk and a sweet in the other two hands.
Mouse
It is known that the ride of Ganesha is a mouse which always stands by his feet. This mouse signifies the search for knowledge in places one wouldn’t imagine to look for it.
Protruding Belly
Ganesha's belly is shown to be very large, often protruding out of his garment, symbolizing generosity, the entirety of the universe, and the swallowed up grievance and evil of the world.
