GANESH: Remover of Obstacles

Lord Ganesh is “A God for Everyman.” After Jesus and the Buddha, Ganesh is one of the most widely prayed to deities. He is non-sectarian; Jains, Buddhists and Hindus of all sects ask for his protection, especially before any new undertaking or trip. The ‘ga’ part of his name symbolizes intellect and the ‘na’ symbolizes wisdom, thus he is considered the God of Intellect and Wisdom. Ganesh is also called Ganapati or Vigneshvara or Ganesha.

Ganesh represents the perfect balance between kindness and force, and between power and beauty. He grants you the capability to distinguish between illusion and truth, between the unreal and the real. Ganesh personifies the primal sound of OM, from which all hymns are born. t is said when Shakti (energy) and Shiva (matter) meet, Ganesha (sound) and Skanda (light) – his brother – are born.

Shakti in the form of Parvati became Shiva’s consort. Shiva did not feel the need to have children, so Ganesh came into being from Parvati’s desire to procreate. Parvati sculpted her little boy from the earth. As a result, Ganesh’s relationship to Parvati and to Mother Earth is unique and special. Ganesh became the Keeper of Mother Earth and the protector of the goddess in all her forms.

There are many stories about how he got his elephant head and even more symbolic meanings are attached to each aspect of his head and body. There is a wealth of symbolism for you to use as a meditation tool in statues of Ganesh. –

• The Ganesh statue (shown above) is located in the Swami Nityananda Temple on the shore of the Ganga on Kashi Ashram.
• Call on Ganesh to bring you happiness and prosperity; he is also known as the God of Scholarship.
• There is no set image for Ganesh. He can be seen reclining, creeping, sitting, dancing, reading, standing, or playing a musical instrument. He also appears with other gods and goddesses.
• As you look through our statues of Ganesh you’ll easily see why he’s called a God for Everyman; he is so accessible.
• For more information about Ganesh.