Symbolism and Interesting Facts about Lord Ganesha
The Lord of Lords, the God of intellect and wisdom, the patron of arts and sciences, the God of beginnings, and the remover of obstacles, Lord Ganesha. He is one of the most widely worshipped Hindu deities and is popular not only in India but also abroad and he is worshipped by not just Hindus but even by Jains and Buddhists. Apart from India, he is a highly respected deity in Tibet, China and Japan. He is believed to be the harbinger of all good things – prosperity, peace, health, happiness, success and good fortune. Here are some interesting facts and history about Him.
10 Intriguing Facts about Lord Ganesha
Know about Lord Ganesha’s Family
Lord Ganesha’s father is Lord Shiva and his mother is Goddess Paravati. Kartikeya is Lord Ganesha’s brother. Is Lord Ganesha married? In some traditions, he is regarded as unmarried while some traditions depict him as married to Buddhi (intelligence) and Siddhi (success) and in some other traditions, Riddhi (prosperity) is also regarded as his wife. As per Shiva Purana, Ganesha has two sons, Ksema (safety) and Labha (profit). In the northern Indian variants of this story, Subha (auspiciousness) and Labha are said to be Lord Ganesha’s sons. Santoshi (Goddess of satisfaction) is believed to be Ganesha’s daughter.
Lord Ganesha Symbolism
- His big head is symbolic of thinking big.
- His large ears represent the ability to listen more and his small mouth is symbolic of talking less.
- The small eyes of Lord Ganesha are symbolic of focus and concentration.
- He has one tusk which represents that one should retain the good and throw away the bad.
- His trunk symbolizes high efficiency and adaptability.
- He holds an axe in one hand which represents the cutting off of bonds of attachment. A rope held in the other hand represents pulling you towards the highest goal. His raised hand depicts that he is blessing and protecting his devotees. The other hand is symbolic of giving or generosity.
- The big stomach of Lord Ganesha is symbolic of his ability to digest or accept good as well as bad.
- He is depicted sitting with one leg folded and one leg on the floor. This represents that while enjoying worldly pleasures, one must remain detached and seek one’s inner self.
The Elephant-headed God
Puranic myths state different reasons why Lord Ganesha has the head of an elephant. Some say he was born with an elephant’s head while most texts say that he got the head later. A popular legend goes that devi Parvati had created a boy from clay to protect her, and Lord Shiva beheaded Ganesha when he came between him and Parvati, after which Lord Shiva put an elephant’s head in place of Ganesha’s original head and that’s how Ganesha came to be the elephant-headed God. There’s another relatively lesser-known story according to which Ganesha was created from Lord Shiva’s laughter, and since Shiva found him very attractive, he gave him an elephant’s head and a huge belly.
Why Lord Ganesha has a Big Belly
Due to his big belly, Lord Ganesha is called Lambodara (literally meaning hanging belly) or Mahodara (meaning one with a great belly). Brahmanda Purana states that Lord Ganesha had a large belly because all the universes are present in him. The big belly represents his ability to digest the good and bad. It is also taken to mean a full stomach, which is symbolic of prosperity or abundance.
Significance of the Broken Tusk
It is believed that Vyasa dictated verses of the epic Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha and he wrote them down. A legend says that while deciphering the meaning of a certain verse, engrossed in thought, Lord Ganesh broke his own tusk to use as a tool for writing. There’s another story as per which, one day when Parshurama was visiting Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha blocked his way reacting to which, Parshurama flung his axe at Ganesha. Lord Ganesha recognized it as a weapon given to Parshurama by his father Shiva. So, out of respect and humility, he allowed it to strike him and got his tusk broken.
Why is a mouse the vehicle of Lord Ganesha?
The mouse represents ego, and Lord Ganesha riding the mouse is symbolic of controlling one’s ego. The mouse is also said to represent desires and the mouse as Lord Ganesha’s vehicle means that one should ride on one’s desires but keep them under control. A large Indian bandicoot rat is depicted as Lord Ganesha’s vehicle, which symbolizes Lord’s ability to overcome any difficulty to get anywhere, and it is also believed that Lord Ganesha can go anywhere to remove obstacles, with the help of the rat as his vehicle.
According to the Ganesha Purana, gandharva Kraunch was cursed by a sage and turned into a rat. He later served as Ganesha’s vehicle. A story goes that mushak (mouse), the vaahana of Lord Ganesha could not bear Lord’s heavy weight and so he requested the Lord to reduce in size. Lord Ganesha obliged, after which the mushaka asked Lord to assign him as his vehicle.
Which is Lord Ganesha’s Favourite Food?
Modaks are believed to be the most favourite food of Lord Ganesha and is the most popular prasad on Ganesh Chaturthi. Often, 21 to 101 modaks are prepared as prasad during the puja of Lord Ganesha. The most authentic modak is the steamed modak which is a sweet dumpling of rice flour and filled with a mixture of jaggery and coconut. Most Ganesh idols are seen holding a modak. Some of Ganesha’s other favourite foods include motichoor laddus and bananas.
Hibiscus and Durva Grass for Lord Ganesha
Devotees believe that offering the hibiscus flower to Lord Ganesha can help them get his blessings for prosperity and success. Lord Ganesha is said to have a liking for red flowers as the color is linked with mars and the moon. It is also believed that the petals of the hibiscus flower emit divine consciousness. This flower is said to signify strength of the subconscious, and hence used during the worship of Lord Ganesha.
Durva grass is a three-bladed plant that attracts the energy of Lord Ganesha. According to a legend, once while fighting with a demon, Ganesha swallowed him, which led to a burning sensation in his stomach. Nothing could provide relief to Lord Ganesha. Some sages then offered him 21 blades of durva grass, which gave him relief, and thus started the tradition of offering durva grass to Ganapati.
Festivities of Lord Ganesha
Ganesh Jayanti: It falls on the Magha Shukla Chaturthi and is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha.
Sankashti Chaturthi: It is a holy day that falls in every lunar month of the Hindu calendar. If it comes on a Tuesday, it is known as Angaraki Chaturthi and is considered as very sacred. Devotees observe a fast on Sankashti Chaturthi, pray and worship Lord Ganesha, and it is a common practice to take darshan of the moon following prayers to Ganapati before breaking the fast.
Ganeshotsav: It is a highly popular festival that spans 10 days from Ganesh Chaturthi to Anant Chaturdashi. During this festival, Ganesh idols are worshipped in households and public celebrations are also held. People come together for puja and arati, sweets are distributed as prasad and various cultural programs are organized. Ganapati bappa (as Lord Ganesha is fondly called) is greeted on Ganesh Chaturthi and it is believed he comes to the earthly realm on this day. He is believed to be returning to his heavenly abode on Anant Chaturdashi, with which the Ganesh festival concludes. For greeting as well as while bidding farewell to Lord Ganesha, big processions are held in some parts of India.
Forms and Avatars of Ganesha
Lord Ganesha has various names and forms. His names like Ganapati and Ganesha denote his position as the leader or Lord of people, while his names like Gajanan (one with the head of an elephant), or Vakratunda (one with a twisted trunk) represent his physical appearance. According to the Mudgala Purana, there are 8 avatars of Ganesha, namely, Vakratunda, Ekadanta, Mahodara, Gajanan, Lambodara, Vikata, Vighnaraja and Dhumravarna.
Mudgala Purana as well as other devotional literary sources mention 32 avatars of Ganesha, which are Bala Ganapati, Taruna Ganapati, Bhakti Ganapati, Vira Ganapati, Sakti Ganapati, Dwija Ganapati, Siddhi Ganapati, Ucchishta Ganapati, Vighna Ganapati, Kshipra Ganapati, Heramba Ganapati, Lakshmi Ganapati, Maha Ganapati, Vijaya Ganapati, Nrtya Ganapati, Urdhva Ganapati, Ekakshara Ganapati, Vara Ganapati, Tryakshara Ganapati, Kshipra Prasada Ganapati, Haridra Ganapti, Ekadanta Ganapati, Srishti Ganapati, Uddanda Ganapati, Rinamochana Ganapati, Dhundi Ganapati, Dvimukha Ganapti, Trimukha Ganapati, Sinha Ganapati, Yoga Ganapati, Durga Ganapati and Sankatahara Ganapati. Out of these the first 16 are worshipped more and Mahaganapati is particularly more popularly worshipped.
Lord Ganesha, is depicted in various forms; he may be seen standing or seated. Since he is a patron of arts, he is portrayed playing a musical instrument or dancing. He may be seen riding a mouse or seated on a chavarang, a chair, or on a lotus. Sculptors take the creative liberty to depict him in varied forms, and being a highly versatile God that he is, his portrayal in idols is highly varied.
These were 10 fascinating facts about Lord Ganesha, which give you a detailed description of this popular deity. Unlike other Gods who are considered as strict and may be respected out of fear, Lord Ganesha is different; he is loved and revered. Kids and adults alike, love this fondly God and worship him in their own ways, with great devotion. He fiercely protects against obstacles, he lovingly blesses with abundance and peace. This Lord of wisdom and prosperity is also the God of good beginnings, and is worshipped foremost on almost all religious rituals and auspicious occasions. Unlike many other deities, Lord Ganesha comes across as a highly accessible God who is approachable and friendly. He infuses everyone with enthusiasm and positive energy, and his devotees span all age groups and communities. Just the chant of his name fills the air with joy and positivity – Ganapati bappa moraya!