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Lord Ganesh
Devout Hindus experience the Lord Ganesh
(alias Vinayaka) icon as a living presence, indeed
as a much loved and cherished member of the family. He is woken up in the
morning, washed, dressed and fed. He is also fed during the day. In the
evening he is washed and put to bed. You can talk to or argue with him as you
would with a sibling, or interact with him as a best friend. He is always
there when you need him. Every time a problem emerges, be it in
the home, in school or in business, as when a contract is about to be signed,
Hindus invoke his benign guidance. Apart from his special function (or
dharma), namely to solve problems – or remove obstacles –, Ganesh behaves
pretty much like an ordinary family member. Since he is THE perennial precocious
teenager, he behaves like a teenager. He plays pranks – like giving you
problems to solve –, eats too many sweet things, is incredibly smart and
inventive and, more often than not, gets himself in a tangle. Hindus believe the Ganesh was immaculately
conceived, i.e. by his mother Parvati, and who is
but a mask of Uma, the supreme Mother Goddess and creator of all. |
