Name:Lord Shree Ganesh
The elephant-headed God of Wisdom and Prosperity and the son of Lord Shiva and Ma Parvati. and the husband of Bharati, Riddhi and Siddhi.
Birth and Elephant-Head
The following story is narrated about Lord Ganesha’s birth and His having the head of an elephant. Once upon a time, at bathing time, the Goddess Gauri, the spouse of Rudra, created Ganapati as a Suddha, or pure white being, out of the mud of Her body, and placed Him at the entrance of the house.
She told Him not to allow anybody inside and went for a bath. Lord Siva Himself returned home quite thirsty and was stopped by Ganesha at the gate. Siva got angry and cut off Ganesha’s head, taking Him for an outsider. Gauri came to know of this and grieved much. Siva ordered His servants to bring the head of any creature that might be sleeping with its head northwards. The servants made a thorough search end found only an elephant in that position. The head of the elephant was cut off and brought before the Lord. Siva joined the head of the elephant to the body of Ganapati.
Lord Shree Ganesh Ganesha is worshipped, or at least remembered, in the beginning of any auspicious performance for blessings and auspiciousness. He has four hands, elephant's head and a big belly. His vehicle is a tiny mouse. In his hands he carries a rope (to carry devotees to the truth), an axe (to cut devotees' attachments), and a sweet dessert ball "Laddoo" (to reward devotees for spiritual activity). His fourth hand's palm is always extended to bless people. A unique combination of his elephant like head and a quick moving tiny mouse vehicle represents tremendous wisdom, intellegence, and presence of mind.
Ganesha Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and many other parts of India. The festival is so popular that the preparations begin months in advance. Days before the actual worship, homes are cleaned and marquees erected at street corners to house the idols of the Lord. Elaborate arrangements are made for lighting, decoration, mirrors and flowers.
Ganesh Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesh.This festival falls on the fourth day (Chaturthi) of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar around August-September. The biggest festival in Maharashtra. Ganesh Chaturti is celebrated for a period of ten days. Fasting, feasting and distribution of sweets offered to Lord Ganesh are important aspects of Ganesh chaturthi rituals in India. Hindus pray to images of Lord Ganesha.
Temples
There are many other important Ganesha temples at the following locations: Wai in Maharashtra;Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh; Jodhpur, Nagaur and Raipur (Pali) in Rajasthan; Baidyanath in Bihar;Baroda, Dholaka, and Valsad in Gujarat and Dhundiraj Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Prominent Ganesha temples in southern India include the following: Kanipakam in Chittoor; the Jambukeśvara Temple at Tiruchirapalli; at Rameshvaram and Suchindram; Karpaka Vinayakar Temple in TamilNadu;Hampi, Kasargod, and Idagunji in Karnataka; and Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh. Ganesha temples have also been built outside of India, including southeast Asia, Nepal, and in several western countries.