It is heartening to note that God Ganesa, an elephant-headed god, has evoked continuous interest among scholars of different origins & background. More research papers, commentaries, views, and opinions have been expressed over the period, and this enhances the popularity and glory of this Hindu Deity. This god is a versatile entity, as he is worshipped to achieve almost all material as well as spiritual gains. He is the Lord of learning, lord of creation & removal of obstacles, a benevolent god to pray & worship prior to the beginning of any ritual, activity, and project in order to fulfill desire and/or achieve success.
The worship of Ganesha or Ganapati is not confined to India alone. His popularity is extended to Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Tibet, Borneo, Java, Bali, China, Japan, Central Asia, and also to Afghanistan and Persia.
At the end of each age (Kalpa), there is Pralaya, a great deluge, which destroys the entire Universe as it exists then due to very strong storms, floods, swelling of oceans, etc. This is followed by a long, long night of Brahma. (It is said that one night of Brahma stretches to 4320 millions of human years) and awakening starts with a powerful, mind-blowing sound, "OM " (pronounced as OHM or AUM). The vibrations of "OM" create soft light, the first dawn heralding the Sun. The task of creating a new Universe is given to Brahma by the supreme spirit, i.e., the Great GOD. Out of vibrations from the sound "OM," four VEDAS are generated.- Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva, and this wealth of knowledge is given to Brahma. Meditation by Brahmä on the Great GOD, the supreme spirit, is Lord Ganeša in his formless entity, and thus life begins.
The Rig Veda is composed, edited, and compiled by sages during pre-historical time. It is a collection of 1017 hymns (Suktas having 10472 stanzas (Richas). It is full of astonishment and praise of the wonders of nature. The literary meaning of the Rig Veda is Knowledge (Veda) via Verses (Richas). Then appears Yajur-Veda, the book of chants for sacrifices, and the Sama-Veda, the book of musical versions of Rig Vedic hymns. Atharva-Veda, the youngest of all Vedas, contains spells of white & black magic, cures for diseases, and chants needed to succeed for Kings, Warriors, etc. All four Vedas are in prayer form, very poetic, rhythmic, and stylistic. They have a common platform of spirituality.
Other texts such as Upanishads, Shastras, Puranas (the major 18 out of around 200 in total), Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc., came into existence within centuries to thousands of years after the Vedas. Its preservation via memorization and recitation for more than centuries after centuries, prior to the art of writing, is more than a miracle and a remarkable educational system that existed throughout an ancient period in India.
Among all the deities of the Hindu Religion, Lord Ganesha has a special status. It is now well accepted practise to worship this deity to seek blessings at the start of any auspicious ritual or occasion, ceremony, or act or project undertaking new assignments. Lord Ganesha, over the period, is also worshipped by subjects of other religions, e.g., Jains, Buddhists, Muslims, and Christian etc. He is considered as GOD who removes obstacles, spreads happiness all around, and initiates performing arts like dance, vocal & instrumental music, dramas, besides academic, educational, spiritual & yogic activity.
The present form of Ganesha has evolved after the continuous changes that have taken place since the ancient Vedic times. Some deities have become popular in their evolved form, and some others just became insignificant in the course of time. For example, Indra and Varuna in Vedic times were deeply rooted in the minds of people, but over the years, thinking changed. They were no longer worshipped with Vedic rituals, recitation of Vedic mantras, or Sacrifices for material prosperity; slowly, it all receded, and they have gone into the background/not remained that important. Among all the deities of the Hindu Religion, Lord Ganesha has a special status. It is now well accepted practise to worship this deity to seek blessings at the start of any auspicious ritual or occasion, ceremony, act, or project, or when undertaking new assignments.
Lord Ganesha, over the period, is also worshipped by subjects of other religions, e.g., Jains, Buddhists, Muslims, and Christian etc. He is considered as GOD who removes obstacles, spreads happiness all around, and initiates performing arts like dance, vocal & instrumental music, dramas, besides academic, educational, spiritual & yogic activity. The present form of Ganesha has evolved after the continuous changes that have taken place since the ancient Vedic times. Some deities have become popular in their evolved form, and some others just became insignificant in the course of time. For example, Indra and Varuna in Vedic times were deeply rooted in the minds of people, but over the years, thinking changed. They were no longer worshipped with vedic rituals, recitation of Vedic mantras, or Sacrifices for material prosperity; slowly, it all receded and they have gone in the background/not remained that important.
Vedas (1261)
Upanishads (526)
Puranas (643)
Ramayana (783)
Mahabharata (388)
Dharmasastras (175)
Goddess (545)
Bhakti (252)
Saints (1881)
Gods (1324)
Shiva (419)
Journal (181)
Fiction (71)
Vedanta (395)
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Visual Search
Manage Wishlist