In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha believed to have an elephant head, is worshipped as the god of prosperity and one who can remove all barriers. Indeed, his narrative, though, starts under rather unusual circumstances, those of tragedy and the risen phoenix. In one version of the tale, Parvati created Ganesha from her essence to guard her; Shiva accidentally decapitated Ganesha, unaware he was attacking his son. Once Shiva realised his blunder, he revived Ganesha and put an elephant head in place to replace the one he had lost. It meant exchange, transition, or transformation, and Ganesha became the ‘Elephant Deity’
People pray to him as they begin significant activities in life, such as starting a business, travelling or entering a new marriage and other related activities since the god is believed to grant easy passage. However, his sphere of influence is not only confined to the physical realm. Still, it is also a guru for the spiritual path by helping eliminate mental barriers that keep a person from growth and awakening. Thus, devotees worldwide recite the prayer “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha” -“I offer my obeisances to Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.”
In addition, Ganesha is also worshipped as the Lord of knowledge and the guardian of the sacred. He continues to be described as having written the great epic, Mahabharata, for the sage Vyasa by using his tusk like a pen; it is a metaphor for giving for a higher cause. His image is rich with spiritual symbolism: He has large ears, which symbolise listening, a round belly that stands for the universe and a mouse vehicle for taming an active and unstable mind. During the Ganesha Chaturthi festival, it has become the tradition to celebrate the birth of Ganesha.
Pratikshya Bhatta is a junior editor with Nepal Connect.
