Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed God - the endower of joy, the preserver of knowledge and of wisdom, and the remover of obstacles - is considered to be bountiful and eternal. He is the son of
Lord Shiva and Goddess
Parvati.
In most of his images, Ganesh's trunk is turned towards the left. The mouse is the vehicle of this big-bellied god; and he has a serpent tied around his big stomach. Lord Ganesh is often depicted with four hands. Three of them carry a rope, a spear like weapon, and a sweet. The fourth arm is raised in the gesture of blessing. Devotees worship him at the beginning of every sacrifice and all kinds of endeavors. Lord Ganesh is worshipped for Siddhi, or success in any undertaking. He is also called by numerous other names such as Vinayaka, Vigneshwara, Vignaharta, Gajanana, Ganapati, and Ek Danta.
Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi, a festival in honor of Ganesh, is celebrated with fervor all over the country.
