God of good beginnings

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Dr Venganoor Balakrishnan [1]

Lord Ganesh is one of the most revered Hindu god whose blessings we seek before commencing any task. Special prayers are first offered to Him to remove all obstacles confronting devotees. A prayer before Him, or penance made for Him, are believed to fetch success in all our endeavours.

Lord Ganesh is easily pleased. One of the most repeated chanting spells to please Lord Ganesh is:
“Vakratunda Mahaakaaya
Soorya Koti Samaprabha
Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva
Sarva Karyeshu Sarvadaa”
Sri Ganesh is the deity of learning and wisdom. He guides his devotees in pursuing both spiritual and material prospects.
Coconut has a unique role in the worship of the Lord. It is considered auspicious, symbolic of wealth, honour and prestige. It is customary to mark the coconut offered in prayers with five red dots and place it on a pitcher filled with water. It is covered partially with a red cloth.
Apart from using a full coconut in rituals, it is also “broken” before the deity to seek his blessings. Before launching on an endeavour or setting out on a journey, coconut is broken before Ganesh. If the coconut breaks in a single attempt, it is considered auspicious. The coconut tree — which is called kalpavriksha, the evergreen tree that fulfils every wish — also indicates that Lord Ganesh, too, is all-granting and all-powerful.
Ganesh is very fond of the sweetmeat modak, which literally means something that gives pleasure even when it is taken in a small quantity. Devotees offer Ganesh modak or ladoos, and in turn receive His blessings. Durva grass is also very dear to Ganesh. In Ganapati Athvarshirsh, it is narrated,
“Yo doorvaankurairyajati sa vasravanopamo bhavati
Yo laajairyajati sa yasovaan bhavati sa medhavan bhavati
Yo modak sahasrena yajati sa vaamchita phalamavapraapnoti”
(Whoever offers Durva grass to God becomes like Kuber, the God of wealth. Whoever offers rice and paddy achieves success and fame. Whoever offers a thousand modakas to Sri Ganesh finds fulfilment of personal desires.)
Ganesh deserves to be worshipped prior to prayers to other deities. He removes the blocks in the way of prayers and helps devotees win the grace of God and fulfils their desires. That is why Ganesh is also called Vighneswara — one who removes all problems, blocks.

Dr Venganoor Balakrishnan is the author of Thaliyola, a book on Hindu beliefs and rituals. He can be reached at drvenganoor@yahoo.co.in