World Of Ganesh

There is a description of 56 Vinayakas in the Kashi section of Skanda Purana.
Lord Ganesha established himself at 56 places in Varanasi, although it is a bit difficult to find all those 56 places physically. About 500 years ago, Tulsidas wrote Ganesha Vandana, where he described Ganesha as Modakpriya. Ganesha is also popular in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu,
All the devotees of Shiva are Ganas, and Shiva made Ganesha the leader of the Ganas. (Shakuntala Jagannathan and Nandita Krishna's book 'Ganesha, The Auspicious Beginning')
The Kapisha province of Afghanistan, close to the modern city of Bagram, was the site of the first known evidence of elephant worship outside India. An Indo-Greek coin of the 2nd century BC describes the elephant deity as the 'Kapisha city deity'. Is. There are many cities whose names are based on elephants, such as Kapisha (Bagram), Pushkalavati (Peshawar), Hastinapur, Varnavat etc. MK Dhavalikar's book 'Origin of Ganesha' states that historians estimate that Hastika defeated the people of Later, the Greeks started worshiping their god to pacify them. Ganesha worship is also popular in Japan. Greek historians tell how Alexander used to worship the elephant in Taxila. It is told in history that in the north-west region of India, there was a majority of elephant worshiping tribe, which was called Hastika.

The famous song of Carnatic music 'Vatapi Ganpatim Bhaje...' reminds of the battle of Vatapi? The song depicts the victory of Lord Ganesha in the battle of Vatapi, taking him to his home kingdom. Most Carnatic music concerts begin with this song. This work, written in Sanskrit by Muttuswami Dikshitar, traces the history of several centuries, which shows the universality of Ganesha. Vatapi refers to Badami, which is in the Bijapur (now Vijayapura) district of Karnataka. In the seventh century, the Pallava kings brought back their deity after their victory over the Chalukyas. The Pallava army chief, who later became a Shaiva saint, brought the deity to his hometown Paranjyoti.

Gajavakra <> Elephant's trunk
Gajakarna <> Elephant's ears
Gajanan, Hastimukh and Gajananeti <> Elephant's face
Shurpkarna-Lambakarna <> Big ears, Lambodar <> Big stomach
Vakratunda <> are curved trunks.

Ganesha is one of the most important gods in Hinduism. Ganesha is easily recognized with his elephant head and human body, representing the soul (atman) and the physical (maya). Ganesha is the patron of writers, travellers, students, and commerce, and he removes obstacles blocking new projects1. He is also worshipped as a principal deity in both Jainism and Buddhism1. Ganesha is associated with wisdom, writing, travel & commerce2. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati and he is the brother of Karthikeya (or Subrahmanya), the god of war1. Ganesha was created by his mother using earth which she moulded into the shape of a boy. As Shiva was away on his meditative wanderings, Parvati set her new son as guard while she bathed. Unexpectedly, Shiva returned home and, on finding the boy, and outraged at his impudence in claiming he was Parvati’s son, Shiva called for his gang of demons, the bhutaganas, who fought ferociously with the boy. However, the youngster easily held his own against such fearsome adversaries and Vishnu was forced to intervene in the form of Maya and, whilst the boy was distracted by her beauty, the demons, or Shiva himself, lopped off his head. At the commotion, Parvati ran from her bath and remonstrated with Shiva for so summarily killing their son. Repentant, Shiva ordered a new head to be found for the boy and, as the first animal available was an elephant, so Ganesha gained a new elephant head and became the most distinctive of the Hindu gods.

Learn more:

1. worldhistory.org
2. britannica.com
3. bbc.co.uk
4. learnreligions.com
5. bbc.co.uk

Ganesha’s form is highly symbolic and represents different aspects of the universe and the human condition12. Here are some of the key symbols associated with Ganesha:

Elephant Head: The large elephant head symbolizes wisdom, understanding, and a discriminating intellect that one must possess to attain perfection in life1.

Big Head: Ganesha’s big head is a symbol of thinking big. One should have broader thinking and never dwell on the past2.

Small Eyes: Ganesha has small eyes that tell us to concentrate2.

Wide Mouth: The wide mouth represents the natural human desire to enjoy life in the world1.

Large Ears: The large ears signify that a perfect person is the one who possesses a great capacity to listen to others and assimilate ideas1.

Trunk: The trunk can hold anything and everything existent in this universe, symbolizing high adaptability and efficiency in life1.

Rat Vehicle (Vahana): His vehicle is the large Indian bandicoot rat, which symbolizes Ganesha’s ability to overcome anything to get what he wants3.

These symbols remind us of the qualities we should strive for as we navigate through the obstacles of life.

Learn more:

1. timesofindia.indiatimes.com
2. vedicsources.com
3. britannica.com

Ganesha is worshipped through a series of rituals during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, which is celebrated with great fervor across India12345. Here are the main rituals:

Avahana or Pran Pratishtha: This ritual is performed to sanctify the Ganesha idol. Devotees perform ‘Deep-Prajwalan’ and ‘Sankalpa’, and then recite mantras. The idol is then placed in the pandal, temple, or home1235.

Shodashopachara: This ritual involves 16-fold worship which includes offering something to the lord. In this ritual, the devotees first wash Lord Ganesha’s feet, then give the statue a bath with milk, ghee, honey, curd, and sugar. Next step, fresh flowers, akshata, sindoor and Chandan are presented to the idol. Apply sandalwood paste tilak to the Ganpati idol1235.

Uttarpuja: This ritual is performed during ‘visarjan’. It is a farewell ritual performed on the 10th day of the festival123.

Ganpati Visarjan: This is the last ritual in which the Ganesha idol is immersed in water. As they bid farewell to the lord, people chant, “Ganapati Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya” (Hail Lord Ganpati, come quickly next year)123.

These rituals are performed with great devotion and enthusiasm by devotees during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.

Learn more:

1. ndtv.com
2. hindustantimes.com
3. thehansindia.com
4. economictimes.indiatimes.com
5. timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is widely known as the remover of obstacles and the giver of good fortune, success, and wisdom1. The festival begins on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the month of Bhadrapada (August–September), the sixth month of the Hindu calendar2.

The festival involves several rituals, including the pranapratishtha, a ritual to invoke life in the idols, followed by shhodashopachara, or the 16 ways of paying tribute2. Amid the chanting of Vedic hymns from religious texts like the Ganesh Upanishad, the idols are anointed with red sandalwood paste and yellow and red flowers2. Ganesha is also offered coconut, jaggery, and 21 modaks (sweet dumplings), considered to be Ganesha’s favorite food2.

At the conclusion of the festival, the idols are carried to local rivers in huge processions accompanied by drumbeats, devotional singing, and dancing. There they are immersed, a ritual symbolizing Ganesha’s homeward journey to Mount Kailas—the abode of his parents, Shiva and Parvati2.

Ganesh Chaturthi assumed the nature of a gala public celebration when the Maratha ruler Shivaji used it to encourage nationalist sentiment among his subjects, who were fighting the Mughals2. In 1893, when the British banned political assemblies, the festival was revived by the Indian nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak2. Today the festival is celebrated in Hindu communities worldwide and is particularly popular in Maharashtra and parts of western India2.

Learn more:

1. news18.com
2. britannica.com
3. msn.com
4. hindi.oneindia.com
5. hindi.webdunia.com

That sounds like a beautiful and significant event at the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple Pune. It's wonderful to hear that more than 35,000 women gathered to recite the 'Atharvashirsha' on the second day of Ganpati Mahotsav. The temple holds a special place in the hearts of many people, as it is believed that Mr. Dagdusheth Halwai and his wife Lakshmibai installed the idol of Lord Ganesha there after losing their only son in the plague epidemic. The temple has since become a symbol of faith, and a grand Ganesh puja is held there every year. It's a place of devotion and reverence for devotees of Lord Ganesha. A grand Ganesh puja takes place here every year.

https://youtu.be/KnvvvJpRKHY

6. ganeshchaturthi.org