Ganesha

Who he is

Ganesha is one of the best-loved gods of Hinduism, honoured across its many schools. He is the patron of learning, writers and merchants, and the lord of thresholds: before a house is entered, an exam sat or a shop opened, his blessing comes first.

His festival and his image have travelled with the Indian diaspora, and today he is loved well beyond Hinduism too: by Buddhists in Thailand and Japan, and by many people who simply like to begin with a blessing.

Reading the figure

Every detail carries a story. The elephant head is linked with wisdom, the large ears with listening. He holds a broken tusk, which some tellings say he used as a pen to write down the Mahabharata, and a sweet, often a modak, for the sweetness of a life well lived. The mouse at his feet, his vehicle, is read in several ways, among them as desire held in check.

Placing Ganesha at home

Many Hindu households keep Ganesha near the entrance or in the home shrine, raised and clean. A flower, a little rice or a sweet and a lit lamp are the simplest offerings. In August or September his festival, Ganesh Chaturthi, fills Indian streets with figures large and small for up to ten days.

Choosing a figure

A seated Ganesha suits a calm home shrine, a dancing one celebrates, and a small one on a desk marks the start of work. As a gift, Ganesha suits a new home, a new job or the first day of a business. Dust with a soft dry cloth, and keep him off the floor.