His antecedents are not clear. [155] Ganesha appears in China by the 6th century, states Brown,[159] and his artistic images in temple setting as "remover of obstacles" in South Asia appear by about 400 CE.

[206] While the kernel of the text must be old, it was interpolated until the 17th and 18th centuries as the worship of Ganapati became more important in certain regions. [169] In Hindu mythology, the Vināyakas were a group of four troublesome demons who created obstacles and difficulties[170] but who were easily propitiated.

ganesh chaturthi is celebrated all over India, as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. These names are suggestive of Ganesha, and the 14th century commentator Sayana explicitly establishes this identification. Why do I need to sign in? Getty, pp. Indeed, these names are supposed to reflect all the qualities, all the powers of this beloved god. Lord Ganesha was told by His mother to stand guard while She was having bath and not allow anyone to enter. Because Shiva considered Ganesha too alluring, he gave him the head of an elephant and a protruding belly. Thank you for the free gifts too - I gave my mother the 5 mukhi pendant as a gift. In the standard configuration, Ganesha typically holds an axe or a goad in one upper arm and a pasha (noose) in the other upper arm. It was essential to subdue the rat as a destructive pest, a type of vighna (impediment) that needed to be overcome. [172] Depictions of elephant-headed human figures, which some identify with Ganesha, appear in Indian art and coinage as early as the 2nd century. Who is Lord Ganesh? [25], Vinayaka (विनायक; vināyaka) or Binayaka is a common name for Ganesha that appears in the Purāṇas and in Buddhist Tantras. [89] Martin-Dubost notes a view that the rat is a symbol suggesting that Ganesha, like the rat, penetrates even the most secret places. Add to Likebox #109284985 - Happy Diwali festival card with gold diya patterned and crystals.. Vector. For a representation of this form identified as Maharakta, see Pal, p. 130. the eight incarnations of Ganesha described in the, the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, "พระคเณศไม่ใช่เทพศิลปะ รัชกาลที่ 6 ทรงทำให้เป็นเทพศิลปะ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ganesha&oldid=980812937, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English, Articles having same image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Articles containing Sanskrit-language text, Articles containing Marathi-language text, Articles containing Burmese-language text, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, God of New Beginnings, Success and Wisdom.