Ganesha

Ganesha

Ganesha: Children’s favorite God

Who would imagine that a little boy with a very long nose and very big ears, who has gotten more than a bit chubby from eating too many ladus, would be the most popular god in Hinduism!

Figure 3.2

When Shiva and Parvati are residing on Mt. Kailasa, Ganesha dances in the forests below with his friends, many of whom, like himself, have human bodies but the heads of animals or birds. Whenever he goes out in the world he rides on the back of a little rat. See if you can find the rathiding under Ganesh’s lotus and looking up to see if Ganesh needs a ride.

The elephant first appears in Indian art more than 3000 years ago on Harappan

 seals.

Figure 3.2

The people of Harappa are believed to be the first to tame the wild elephant. The elephant enabled them to travel safely through dense forests. Elephants could push over trees, clear the pathway through the forest, and carry heavy burdens for long distances. He was really a “remover of obstacles.” When the elephant first became deified and recognized as the son of the Great God Shiva is lost to history. Revered by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists alike he is the most popular of all the gods.

This photograph of a dancing Ganesha, taken at a  Buddhist templein Nepal, shows how the Varendra sculpturemay have looked a thousand years ago when devotees put red powder on the image and offered flowers and rice to Ganesha each morning.

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In Buddhism, Ganesha is worshiped, and as is traditional in Mahayana Buddhism, the Dancing Ganesh in the Varendra, and many of the other Buddhist sculptures here in the Varendra Research Museum would have been painted.

Figure 3.5

Ganesh’s imageis everywhere, as Ganesha is the remove of obstacles. His picture is plastered on doorways of houses, his sculpture at the entrance to both Hindu and Buddhist temples, and his temples are found at the entrances to towns to remove any obstacles as people who respect him enter to conduct business or leave on a long journey.

Beautifully dressed clay images are made and worshiped in each neighborhood at the time of Ganesh Puja. And as you can imagine, to please Ganesha there is a lot of dancing every night.

Figure 3.6

His puja is the most fun of all because everyone gets to eat lots and lots of Ladhus! On the last night of the puja, his image is taken to the nearest river or pond and submersed into the water to carry the Good Fortune that Ganesha brings to people all over the world.

Write his name at the top of the paper before taking a test in school, and he will help you remember all the answers to the questions that you spent the night before trying to cram into your head!

Last updated by admin at 10 September, 2020