Ganesha | Lord Ganesha | Significance of Ganesh in Hinduism | Ganesha Shaligram

Ganesha Mantra: Oṃ Shri Ganesaya Namah Om Gam Ganapataye Namah

Lord Ganesha is also known as Ganpati, Vinayaka, Vighneshvara, Ekadanta, Lambodara, Gajanana etc. But Vinayaka is a common name which mostly appears in Puranas. He is an elephant-headed Hindu God of beginnings. Ganpati is traditionally worshipped before any major enterprise and is the patron of bankers, intellectuals, scribes and authors. Generally, he appears as holding laddu (round Indian sweets) in his hand.

The vehicle or Vahana of Ganesha is the large Indian bandicoot rat, which is the symbol of the ability of Lord Ganesha to overcome anything to get what he wants. Basically, he is a remover of obstacles. Through this article, you will get all the details on Ganesha or Lord Ganesha i.e. Significance of Ganesha in Hinduism, Ganesha Shaligram, Why Worship Lord Ganesha, his appearance and iconography and much more.

Ancient Story Behind Birth of Ganesha

According to Hindu mythology, he is the restored son of Lord Shiva & Goddess Paravati. Because of regional differences, there are various myths & beliefs about the birth of Ganesha. The one is he was created by Paravati and in another myth, he was created by Lord Shiva & Goddess Paravati. One of the myths about born of Bal Ganesha is he appeared mysteriously and was discovered by Shiva and Parvati.

Some people believe that he was born from goddess Malini (elephant-headed goddess) after she drank the bathwater of Parvati bathwater that had been thrown in the river. He also has a brother Kartikeya (God of war), who is also known as Skanda and Murugan. He is married with Riddhi & Siddhi where Riddhi is prosperity and Siddhi is spiritual power. He also has two sons name Shubh & Labh.

Significance of Ganesha in Hinduism

The word Ganesha (Gana+Isha) is a Sanskrit word where Gana means a group, multitude, or categorical system and the word isha means lord or master. Therefore Ganesha means the Lord of the Gaṇas. Ganpati is worshipped on many religious and secular occasions especially ay the beginning of starting a business or buying & vehicle. As Ganpati Bappa is the most popular deity in India so he is worshipped by almost all castes and in all parts of the country.

People believe that the presence of Ganesha grants success, prosperity & protection against adversity. Festivals associated with him are Ganesh Chaturthi/ Vinayaka Chaturthi and Ganesh Jayanti (Birthday of Ganesha). Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in the Sukla paksha (the fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of Bhadrapada (August/ September). Ganesh Jayanti is celebrated on the Chaturthi of the Sukla paksha (fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of Magha (January/ February).

Chakra Associated with Ganesha

Lord Ganesha or Ganpati resides in the first chakra/ root chakra/ Muladhara chakra. This chakra is the principle on which the manifestation/ outward expansion of primordial Divine Force rests. Ganpati has a permanent abode in every being at the Muladhara or Root Chakra. Actually, Ganesha holds supports and guides all the other chakras to govern the forces that propel the wheel of life.

Ganesha Shaligram/ Ganpati Shaligram

ou must alter a Ganesha Shaligram Shila before starting any good/ new work and respect to the Lord Ganesha. Ganesh Shaligram removes all the fears and worshipper of this Shila gets his way out when he has no hopes for the accomplishment of a certain work. It is very exotic, powerful, brilliant, auspicious, extremely attractive, emits very high radiance and has an extraordinarily high energy level.

With this Shila, you should also worship the Shivaling Shaligram, Shiv Parvati Shaligram, Shiv Nabh Shaligram, Laksmi Shaligram, Maha Lakshmi Yantra etc for better results. Ganesh Shila is also best for the immense wealth & removal of obstacles. It is extremely smooth, lustrous, small sized, perfectly shaped, cold to touch and has flawless impressions.

Why Worship Lord Ganesha

Ganapati is the almighty & all-Powerful and no army can stand against Him. The worshipping of Ganesha Shaligram removes all obstacles and brings success in all undertakings. Lord Ganesh gives the worshipper all kinds of attainments i.e. Riddhis & Siddhis. His opponents are finished and the minds/ intentions of his opponents are changed. The devotion of this Shila ensures the earliest accomplishment of all works pertaining to property, business etc which are stuck for quite some time due to some of the other hurdles. Benefits of worshipping this Shaligram are-

- To removes all fears
- To removes all obstacles and brings success
- For immense wealth and success