Ganesha the God who removes all the obstacles and difficulties we come across in our day to day life. One should need the blessings of Ganesha to carry on with his important tasks. Ganesha is also known as Vighneshwara (remover of obstacles). According to hindu tradition in all auspicious occasions including spiritual, vedic, family rituals such as starting a new business, course, house warming, as well as in birth and death ceremonies also puja of Ganesha is very significant.
When children start with their vidyarambha (starting the education) parents will make them pray and give an offering to Lord Ganesha.
Ganesha is considered as a treasure trove of Gnana or Vidya. An offering to Vigneshwara is so much in harmony with mother nature. The homas we do purifies the atmosphere because we use many pure natural products. The aura and atmosphere around during Ganapathi Homa will fill the atmosphere with positive energy. During our offering to Ganesha, we pray to mother nature - we consider mother nature as the five elements - earth, fire, water, air and ether. The traditions the devotees follow in during their offering to Lord Ganesha is in perfect harmony with mother nature. He is worshipped as the Elephant God. Several other animals like mice, rat, lion, peacock, snakes (Vasuki and Seshan), horse, scorpion, parrot, goat etc are also believed to be associated with Gajanana.
Ganesha Chathurthi is celebrated as Ganesha’s birthday all over India. It falls in the month of Bhadrapada on the Chathurthi day. On this day devotees will conduct mass Ganapathi Homas, feed elephants symbolically as they feed their favourite Ganesha. On that day it is believed to be inauspicious to view, the moon. The Chathurthi day during the new moon of every month Sankashtahara Chathurthi is celebrated in all the temples.
Ganesha puja is very much required for all during all significant periods in their life. It is important to pray to Ganesha to relieve you from all the ill effects of one’s dasa sandhi’s like ketu dasa etc.
Ganesha is the son of Shri Parameshwara and Sree Parvathi.
He’s believed to be orginated from the forehead of Shiva as mentioned in the Varaha Purana. There are many stories regarding Ganesha in our Epics and Upanishads. He is the captain of the Shiva’s Bhuda ganas. Ganesha is considered to be as the God of knowledge as the foundation stone. In all the great epics, upanishads and great literary work Lord Ganesha is been praised in the very first beginning. This shows the significance of this God in all creative works done by the Great Rishis of ancient India.
The Ganesha idols are of different types. There are idols in which the trunk of Ganesha is turned towards right side (valampiri) and one’s in which it is towards left side (edampiri). The idols will have modaka, axe-wheel, gada, sugarcane, bows etc weaning on the God Ganesha.
The important offering to Lord Ganesha is the Ganapathi Homa, offering of modakas, Laddus other sweets etc. People break coconut at the threshold of Ganesha temples to overcome many obstacles in their life.
Hibiscus flower, Kanika garland, meadow-grass (garike), red silk cloth etc are believed to be very much adored by Lord Ganesha.
Ganesha is believed to have married to the two daughters of Prajapathi Viswaroopam. The wife’s names are Sidhi and Budhi. He is having two sons whose names are Ksheman and Labhan.
It is believed that there are several incarnations of Lord Ganesha. All these incarnation of Lord Vinayaka is worshipped for the welfare of mankind.
Sadguru Radhakrishnan Nampoothiri, Chief Priest of Chakkulathukavu Sree Bhagavathy Temple, in Kerala, popularly known as the Sabarimala for Women.