Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, and they're one of the most unique looking mystical animals. Elephants have always been my favourite animal their size and strength and the symbolism behind the mighty animal.
The beloved Lord Ganesh, one of the most popular gods in Hinduism. The much loved ladoo, and modak eating elephant god. Ganesh is the Lord of water. His favourite flowers are red. He is revered for his cleverness and wisdom .Do you know he has twelve names? His vehicle (vahana) is a mouse, (I still wonder how he could fit on that!). The mouse is an extension of Ganesh’s powers. It can gnaw through all barriers and can slip into crevices too tiny for the mighty elephant Ganesh to enter. Together they ensure obstacles of all sizes can be removed.
I never released he had such a big family, the members of Ganesh’s family are:
Father and Mother : Shiva and Parvati
Brothers : Kartiekya (elder brother) is the most famous brother of Ganesh. However, he has four brothers Sukesh, Jalandhar, Ayiappa and Bhuma.
Sisters : Ashok Sundari is the sister of Lord Ganesh. However, Lord Shiva had several Naag kanya daughters like Jaya, Vishhar, Shamilbari, Dev and Dotli, who can also be called sisters of Ganesh.
Wives : Ganesh had five wives. First two Riddhi and Siddhi are well known. Others are Tushti, Pushti and Shri.
Sons : Lord Ganesh had two sons in Shubh and Labh and his grandsons are called Amod and Pramod.
As a child before we did anything special we would always do Ganesh Pooja, before I sat exams, when I took my driving test, anything new I embark on I always take his name… why? Because mummy always told me to!! She use to say “He removes all the obstacles in your path”. As we see in the Hindu New Year of 2077, may Hindus around the world pray to Ganesh… but why is he known as the remover of obstacles?
Ganesh, the remover of obstacles was actually created to be an obstacle to anyone wishing to intrude on Parvati’s home. Read about the story in our blog page about how Ganesh got an elephant’s head. It was Lord Shiva who blessed Ganesh with a boon that he would be the first to be worshipped. To please his wife and as a mark of respect to his son for the loyalty and bravery it must have taken to guard the door for his mother, Shiva declared that Ganesh would be worshipped first, before any other gods.
A Poem Out of Love
Born out of his mother’s action,
The embodiment of her love and affection,
Took up a stand for what is right,
Paid for it with a worthy fight,
Had life breathed into him again,
And an elephant head was his gain,
Became the favourites of one and all,
His trunk reminds us to rise after a fall,
We welcome him fondly into the house,
And all he has to ride is a mouse,
He is smiling, friendly and round,
A weight gain is what his favourite sweets told,
An axe in one hand is what he holds,
Reminding us to cut all bonds,
Riding the mouse may look spiritual,
Controlling your thoughts it is in actual,
A big forehead and flapping ears,
Listens to everything and wipes everyone’s tears,
The turn of his trunk determines fate,
He may be lazy but is never late,
A round belly represents prosperity,
Keeps the devotee always happy,
The most intelligent and dedicated to his task,
Very genuine and never wears a mask,
Teaches us to separate the wheat from the husk,
Wrote the entire Mahabharata with just a tusk,
He is kind with a large large heart,
Get his blessing for a great start.
Wishing you every success and the removal of all obstacles!
(Ref: Bharath Balasubramanian)
