Each god in the Indian pantheon has his/her coterie, the absolutely committed devotees. Be it Goddess Saraswati or the various incarnations of Laxmi or Yellama, be it Shiva, Krishna or Shri Rama, each godess or god has her/his dedicated devotees. At times, they denigrate each other as in the case of the Shaiva-Vaishnava debate.
Ganesh, Gajanana, Ganapati, however, is one deity whom All Adore. He is the beginning of all the beginnings, and has no end. In the beginning of any ritual, be it religious, social, hey, even political, Ganesh Pujan initiates it, adorns it.
He is a very interesting concept as a deity. He is 'gaja anan' or 'gaj mukh'. In my opinion, this uniqueness shows his total, complete and inalienable togetherness and union with the entire ethos, the very ambience. No wonder, the small little mouse is his vehicle, while the much hissing and much hated snake is his waistband. He is unity incarnate!
Solidarity he is, too. He is 'gana pati'. According to the legend, Lord Shiva himself made him the head of his followers, the 'gana's. The gana's are as good as the societal rejects. He chooses to give them an identity, a sense of togetherness and solidarity.
Look at the contemporary times, for example. The ten days long Ganesh festival literally makes the day, nay, the year, for/of everybody, the sculptor, the florist, the fruit vendor, the pandal maker, his daily wage workers, the electrician, the politician's 'punter', not to forget, the 'dhol pathak', the list is endless. Is not he thus the support and the lord of the 'gana', the common folk, whom hardly (m)any acknowledge?
No wonder, Lokmanya Tilak, known in his times as the leader of the common man, chose the 'Gana-pati' festival as the occasion for a clarion call against the cruel, vicious, unjust coloniser!
Ganesh is indeed THE Great God. He is everything every which way, philosophically, religiously, mythically. The old and the young, the rich and the poor, all worship him. He is creative, he is intelligent. He is imagination, he is wisdom. Remember the way the Vaidic rucha's, the abhanga's by saints describe him? He is the God of Gods! Long live the Ganesh festival!
Pratima@ The Great God Ganesha is everything. He is the brain, he is also fun. He is the very head, heart and soul. No wonder, the very thought of bidding him a good bye brings a large lump in the throat!
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