ll Vakratunda mahakaya koti Surya samaprabha
Nirvighnam Kurume deva sarvakaryeshu sarbada ll
"Oh, Lord Ganesh, with curved trunk and massive body, the one whose splendour is equal to millions of suns, please bless me so that I do not face any obstacles in my endeavours."
Lord Ganesh, the second son of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva, is regarded as one of the most prominent of the Hindu deities. He is worshipped, and given due respect, by virtually all Hindus from every sect and faith, and is found residing in virtually all Hindu temples. Ganesh Pujan (worship) is performed at the commencement of any major life event for example; he is the first and final deity to be worshipped in the Hindu wedding ceremony. In addition, even before laying the foundations of a house the blessings of Ganesh are invoked.
Ganesh is known by a variety of different names, depicting his various forms. In total there are 108 names for Ganesh. The most commonly used are 'Ganapati', meaning "lord of the group [of Gods]", 'Vinayak', meaning lord of all, 'Gajanana' which means the "elephant faced lord" and 'Vighnahara' meaning the remover of obstacles.
There is nothing within Hinduism that is without meaning and this also applies to the elephant-headed form of Ganesh. The large head symbolises the human ability to think big, in all aspects of life so that all can benefit from a positive endeavour. The Puranas narrate many accounts regarding Lord Ganesh's one tusk. One such story goes that as Ganesh was scribing the Mahabharata that Rishi Ved-Vyas was dictating, Ganesh ran out of ink. To prevent any delay in the compiling of the epic, he broke of his right tusk and began writing with it. This teaches us the importance of dedication to ones task or goal in life. Mushaka, the little mouse, is the vehicle of Ganapati and is often seen by his side in images. It represents desire which can cause havoc unless it is controlled. It is the individual that controls the desire (represented by Ganesh seated on the mouse) so desire shouldn't be the one that takes you for a ride. The large stomach is believed to represent the ability to digest the good and bad times in life that we are all inevitably faced with.
Ganesh Chaturthi signifies the birth of lord Ganesh which is celebrated on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the bright half of Bhadrapad (September/October) with great pomp and colour all over Bharata (India). Celebrations last for a week, where the performance of the visarjan ritual, the immersing of the murthi (deity) into the sea, marks the end of the celebrations. This auspicious event may also be celebrated on a smaller scale in the Hindu home, where Vinayak is worshipped with great affection.
Understanding the symbolism and underlying principles of Hindu deities is necessary to appreciate the wider and deeper wisdom of Sanatana Dharma. It is this Gnyaan, absolute knowledge, that will allow Dharma to prevail.