Ganesha is one of the main deities in Hinduism.
He is the patron of knowledge and wisdom and is revered as the remover of all obstacles.
In addition, Ganesha is also known to remove difficulties and bring success.
A very popular deity in India, worshiped by millions of Hindus every year.
This article introduces the characteristics of Ganesha.
Who is Ganesha?
Ganesha's name means "Lord (Isha) of the multitude (Gana)".
Ganesha is the son of the Hindu god Shiva and his wife Parvati.
Shiva is a ferocious and destructive god, while Parvati is a benevolent goddess.
The two are known as the supreme couple in Hindu mythology and are revered by all Hindus.
Ganesha usually has four arms.
Ganesha's hand is depicted holding the following items:
- Lotus
- Sweets
- Books
- Shivalingam ( Symbolic form of Lord Shiva)
And Ganesha also loves sweets.
For this reason, sweets are offered during worship.
It is said that Ganesha's fondness for sweets comes from the sweet bond between his father, Shiva, and his mother, Parvati.
What are the merits of Ganesha?
Ganesha is said to remove obstacles and bring wealth.
He has the merit of removing all obstacles, so when you start something new regardless of genre, it is said that you should pray to Ganesha.
In addition to that, there are various merits as follows.
- Commercial
- Business start
- Study
- Success
- Wealth
- Wisdom
- Love
He is especially popular in India as the "God of Wealth", and almost every store in India has a Ganesha statue.
It is common for ordinary people to send Ganesha cards for celebrations and place a Ganesha statue on the dashboard of their cars.
Why is Ganesha's head an elephant?
Ganesha is depicted as having an elephant head and a human body.
There are multiple myths about why he has elephant heads, but the most famous myth is the one below.
Shiva's wife, Parvati, washed her body and collected the dirt from his body to make a doll.
And she gave birth to Ganesha by breathing life into the doll.
One day, Shiva returned while Ganesha was guarding the bathroom on Parvati's orders.
Ganesha did not know that the man was his father, the great Lord Shiva.
You are not allowed to enter this bathroom!
When Shiva heard this, he became furious.
What are you saying to me!
Shiva cut off Ganesha's head and threw it far away.
Afterward, Shiva talked with Parvati about the incident.
That person is our child.
When Shiva learned the truth, he set out on a journey to find Ganesha's head, but he could not find it.
Let's take the head of the elephant I will meet!
Shiva resurrected the elephant he met at the beginning of his journey by attaching it as Ganesha's head.
Why is one fang broken?
One of Ganesha's fangs is broken.
There are multiple myths as to why, but the most famous ones are the following.
Reason 1
Saint who is said to be the author of "Mahabharata", could not write letters.
Therefore, the creator god Brahma sent Ganesha to Saint to dictate the Mahabharata.
At that time, Ganesha is said to have broken his own fang and used it to write.
Reason 2
One of the avatars of Vishnu, Parasurama (the strongest hero in mythology), attacked Ganesha with an ax given to him by Shiva.
He thought
Avoiding it would be disrespectful.
Then Ganesha dared to catch the attack with one fang.
As a result, his fangs were broken.
Reason 3
When Ganesha fell on the road at night, the sweets in his stomach popped out and rolled over.
It is said that the moon, who was watching it, ridiculed him, so he broke one of his own fangs and threw it at the moon.