Ganesa is not only mysterious but also evocative. Every year during the 10-day long Ganesa Parva, questions are flung far and wide as to why Hindus worship “the elephant-headed” deity so adoringly. Elephant is a symbol of authority, dignity, strength and endurance. Explanations and Puranic texts are repeated with regularity just as the question is. It was Maharsi Bhrgu who conceptualised the worship and mentioned it in one of the most ancient Upanisads Taittiriya some 10,000 years ago in the Vedic state of Brahmavarta. The legendary Maharsi had contributed to other Samhita-s and Rg Veda too. The concept consecrated by him is very much alive and expanding beyond the boundaries of Bharata. 

Ganesa as a deity became widely worshipped since 4th/5th centuries CE of the Gupta Period encumbered with traits from pre-Vedic precursors. A sect of devotees known as Ganapatya came into being and identified Ganesa as their supreme deity. Principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesa are Ganesa Purana, Mudgala Purana and Ganapati Atharvasirsa. Brahma Purana and Brahmanda Purana are the other two Puranic texts dealing with Ganesa. 

At the core of Vedic wisdom is a convergence of all cosmic forces and human intellect as a means of their manifestation. Vedas incessantly emphasises the association of two in the name of Yoga. Activities of Brahma are held in highest esteem and such persons are known as Brahmanas. Elephant-contoured part of the human brain lies at the base of the skull and does ‘intelligent’ activities with two ear-shaped Corpus Callosums on both sides inter-linking two hemispheres of the brain. The medulla in the centre resembles the trunk while the Pineal and Pituitary glands are represented by two tusks. 

Purana-s beautifully narrate a tale on how Ganesa was created at the instance of Parvati by Siva at the entrance of Her dwelling. Herein, the base of the skull is the entrance into the human brain and the realised ones are endowed with divine faculties to sift and regulate every external stimulus received by five organs of cognition i.e. Indriya-s. Thus, the function of organs collectively known as Ganesa at the base of the Skull is critical in nature. Functions related to intelligence and consciousness too, are examined by Ganesa, also known as Karta as He is responsible for all actions enacted through the human body. 

After the previous universe was destroyed during Pralaya, a long spell of pitch-dark Brahma night of cosmic serenity and tranquillity followed. Through this cosmic the sound of Pranava i.e. Ohm emerged. It was the Supreme Absolute who appeared in the manifest of the trinity of Brahma, Visnu and Mahesa. 

Gana refers to a group and Isa or Pati refers to Isvara. Ganas are all creatures and Ganesa, their Master Deity. If Ganas refer to the entire spectacle of Mantra-s, Ganesa as Omkara is pre-eminent at the core of all of them. If Ganas are various orders of Prana, Ganesa is the inner Self and foremost. If Ganas are fundamental Tattvas, Ganesa is again the pivotal inner Self. If Gana-s are a stream of Karma-s, Ganesa is the Prajna that dispenses proceeds of Karma-s enacted. 

Ganesa dwells in Muladhara Cakra, ruling over Prthvi and holding Kundalini, the supreme strength of transcendence. Thus, Ganesa is the confluence of Siva and Sakti having a couple of consorts, Siddhi i.e. supreme accomplishments and Buddhi, faculty of discriminative wisdom.

Ganesa Chaturthi is a ten-day festival in the month of Bhadrapada from Sukla Chaturthi to Ananta Chaturthi, to celebrate the advent of Ganesa into our consciousness. Celebrations trace back to dynasties of Satavahana, Rastrakuta and Calukya, which used to be held in Maharashtra and Goa to begin with. Then it expanded all over Bharata. Now Ganesa Parva is celebrated all over the world by Hindus. Individual celebrations are conducted in homes, communities and public places. He is worshipped every morning, evening elaborately and immersed on the day of Ananta Chaturthi.

Four main rituals for the entire celebration are Pranapratistha i.e. infusion of deity into Murty, Sodasopacara i.e. 16 forms of adoration unto Him, Uttarapuja i.e. Puja after which He can be shifted and finally, Ganapati Visarjana i.e. immersion into a river. Modaka is the main sweet that is offered to Ganesa and partaken as Prasada. He is known by 108 names with every name pertaining to a unique aspect of His persona. For instance, Ganesa is Acintya i.e. beyond contemplation, Avyakta i.e. beyond manifestation and Ananta i.e. eternal. He is the Master of all disciplines of knowledge and wisdom, adored before the commencement of all ceremonies and rituals being Adi Deva i.e. deity of beginning.

Legend has it that Ganesa was created by Siva and Parvati after entreaties of Deva-s to act as Vighna-Karta i.e. hurdle-maker for devils and demons as well as Vigna-Harta for Deva-s themselves. Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak revived the tradition of Ganapati Puja, and popularised it at the national level to unite all communities and groups. He transformed it into a rallying point for heralding the freedom movement against the British occupation of the country in 1893. After independence was attained, it was declared a national festival.

Ganesa appears in Mahayana Buddhism, not only as Vināyaka Buddhist but also as a demon bearing the same name. His image appears in Buddhist sculptures of the Gupta period. As Buddhist Vināyaka, He is often inexplicably dancing with abandon, whirling and twirling as Nṛtta Ganapati, popular in Nepal and Tibet too.

According to Ganapatya, He appeared as Nrtta Ganapati with the light of first dawn blowing the conch to emit the sound of Pranava, then mandate the Trinity to create, nurture the world and annihilate evils within. In Nepal, Ganesa is known as Herambha, has five heads and rides a lion. Tibetan representations of Ganesa reveal renderings of Ganapati as ‘Tshogs bdag’. In another Tibetan manifest, He is depicted being trodden by Mahakalesvara, a widely worshipped Tibetan deity.

Other depictions present Him as the Destroyer of Obstacles. Ganesa appears in China and Japan manifesting as distinct regional deities. Ganesa is worshipped by Jains too as Kubera i.e. deity of wealth though their literature may not describe that. The earliest known Jain Ganesa statue belongs to the 9th century and a Jain text belonging to the 15th century describes procedures for installation of Ganapati images. Images of Ganesa appear in the Jain Mandir-s of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Japan has some 250 Ganesa Mandira-s wherein Ganapati is known as ‘Kangiten’, first mentioned in 806. Ganesa was worshipped in Central Asia as His statues have been discovered in Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Indonesia, Brunei, Bulgaria, Mexico and other Latin American countries.

The earliest known statue of Ganesa in China carries an inscription dated to 531. Romans too, worshipped Ganesa before the commencement of every new venture. Irish Embassy in New Delhi is the first European Embassy to install a Ganesa statute at their main entrance to invoke His blessings. Silicon Valley has accepted Ganesa as their presiding deity of cyberspace technology. Greek coins dating first/third century BC have images of elephant-headed Ganesa. So do the Indonesian currency notes.  

According to Daivata Sastra, Ganesa is not only the presiding deity of all disciplines of erudition but also of fine arts and performing arts too. His other name ‘Rangaraja’ precisely describes Him as a performer par excellence being an exquisite dancer, as if the dance had been His very existence being the progeny of Nataraja Siva, identified with Tandava dances and Parvati, presiding deity of gracious Lasya. 

Ganesa beautifully blended both forms of performing art revered and adored by all dancers who sing an ode unto Him before the commencement of their every performance. He exists everywhere, in every testimony of art viz. paintings, sculptures, scriptures etc. Krida Khanda of Ganesa Purana describes a dance by Him as a child which mesmerised Siva into dancing in abandon. Linga Purana too, describes Ganesa as the presiding deity of dances. So do Bharata’s Natya Sastra and Vedic Samhita-s too.

10th-century author Dhananjaya invoked Ganesa in the opening prayer of his famous work on dramaturgy, Dasarupaka as it goes, “I salute Ganesa whose Mrdanga like Hunkara acts as an accompaniment to Sivas Tandava.” He is often seen in paintings, playing musical instruments the dancing Ganas surrounded by Siva. 

Acarya Nandikesvara wrote in his 12th-century work Abhinaya Darpana, that every Nartaka must pray to Vighnesa, Murajadhipa, Akasa and Prthvi, must strike Kapittha Mudra and follow movements detailed in Gajalila Gati.

In every opening ceremony of Alaripu Nrtya, Bharatanatyama Nartaka performs Ganesa Vandana singing the verse, “Tandava Ganapati, Narayana Ganapati” accompanied by Mrdangam. After Puspanjali and Bhumi Pranama, Odissi Nartaka performs Vandana during Mangalacarana with profoundly evocative Bhava and Mudra.

17th-century Marathi Santa Ramdasa beautifully described Nrtya Ganesa in his work Dasabodha. Nrtya Ganesa is visualised as dancing under Kalpavriksa tree holding Hastidanta i.e. tusk symbolising Param Brahma being the Absolute One, Ankusa i.e. goad symbolising self-restraint, Parasu i.e. axe and Pasa i.e. noose symbolising discipline, in His four hands. An enormous belly with a serpent around symbolises acceptance with consciousness, Modaka being the attainment of ultimate bliss and Durva grass represents all our woes and agonies.

The most beautifully crafted Nrtya Ganesa Murti is in Hoyasalesvara Mandir in Halebidu, Karnataka belonging to the 12th century. Legend has it that Ganesa shall assume an Avatara in the manifest of a tree to destroy the demon of pollution and protect nature. 

Image source: Hindu Devotional Blog