What is the difference between ganesh and ganesha

It is these ideas I feel are at work when the Ganesh deity is considered, but there is a difference in the way in which he talks about these ideas and the way that I want to apply them to this particular object. This is because he only examines the nature of the sacred as specifically corresponding with an origin of society. In this way this sacred object comes to be associated with a city-state identity, with a political-historical identity and through this with nostalgia.

Baudrillard, Jean. The System of Objects. Verso: London, New York. Chandra, Bipan. Modern India. Godelier, Maurice. The Enigma of the Gift.

The University of Chicago Press: Chicago. He says that the reference to the past encapsulated in myth lends the role of signification to the object. This then imbues the object with virtue and can lead to its fetishism Baudrillard, Since Ganesh is seen as a remover of obstacles, he is considered a protector of sorts and thus is a popular and appropriate gift for Diwali, a house warming or any other minor occasion. Though she refers to the deity as an artefact, a word that in my mind has objective connotations; she does think of it subjectively as sacred and thus places she collection somewhere she considers safe.

A high value is placed on performance and there is a shift in the element of the sacred. Many Hindus around the world celebrate by praying, singing and dancing. Keep reading to find out more about the god behind this special festival.

Hindu worshippers crowd the giant statue of elephant-headed god, Ganesh. Having an elephant head makes Ganesh special. He has all the wisdom, loyalty and compassion of an elephant and his large ears means he can clearly hear the needs of his people.

You'll find statues or pictures of Ganesh in most Hindu homes. Laddoo is made from chickpea flour, sugar and ghee. Graffiti art of the Hindu god Ganesh and his mouse sidekick — seen at the bottom left corner.

Many Hindu deities ride a special vehicle, or mount, in the form of an animal. He is generally shown with four arms, although the number may vary from two to sixteen. When in the four-armed configuration he usually holds his own broken tusk in his lower-right hand and a laddoo sweet in his lower-left hand which he tastes with his trunk.

An axe or goad is held in the right upper hand and a noose is held in the left upper hand. In a modern variation, the lower-right hand does not hold the broken tusk but is turned toward the viewer in a gesture of protection and fearlessness the abhaya mudra.

Each of Ganesha's items carries it's own important spiritual significance and they and the number of arms used to carry them may vary to include a water lily, mace, discus, rosary, bowl of sweets, musical instrument, spear or staff, depending on the specific symbology intended by the artist.

A depiction of many armed dancing Ganesh in the style known as patachitra paint and pen on silk , from Orissa provence, east India. Ganesh may be portrayed as standing, seated, in tantric yoga pose, dancing, crawling as a child with his favourite laddoo sweet in one hand , or even seated on his mother's knee. When seated, he may be crossed legged or with one leg tucked under him in the position known as "royal ease". His mount or vehicle is usually the humble mouse, often shown at his feet looking adoringly up at him and offering a laddoo sweet in his paws.

The combination of elephant and mouse represents the removal of all obstacles of any size and the ability of Ganesh to control even the most unpredictable of creatures and situations.

There exist a large number of legends, myths and stories relating to Ganesh and his appearance, all reflecting the wealth of symbolism that attends him. The most famous is how he came to have an elephant's head. It is said that the goddess Parvati, wishing to bathe, created a boy and assigned him the task of guarding the entrance to her bathroom.

When her husband Shiva returned from one his interminable battles, he was denied access by Ganesh and killed the boy in a fit of petulant rage, striking his head off with his sword. Parvati was understandably upset and so to soothe her Shiva sent out his warriors to fetch the head of the first dead creature they found, which happened to be that of an elephant. The head was attached to the body of the boy and he was brought back to life.

The elephant's head symbolises unmatched wisdom and the gaining of knowledge through reflection and listening. And because of his role as his mother's doorkeeper, he is often placed facing doorways to keep out the unworthy. Some of the stories surrounding Ganesh are conflicting in nature, for example how his tusk came to be broken.

One popular story is that he broke it off himself in order to write down the Mahabharata , one of the world's longest epic poems, as it was dictated to him by the sage Vyasa. In the process of writing, Ganesh's pen failed and so he snapped off his tusk as a replacement in order that the transcription not be interrupted.

The broken tusk therefore symbolises sacrifice particularly in the pursuit of artistic endeavours and reiterates Ganesh's role as patron of the arts and of letters.

However, another version of the broken-tusk story emphasises Ganesh's loyalty and devotion. In this account, his father Shiva decided to take a nap and asked Ganesh to guard him. A proud Brahmin warrior named Parashuram came to visit Shiva but was stopped from waking him by Ganesh. Parashuram was furious and fought with him, finally throwing his ax at his head. Ganesh stopped the ax with his tusk which broke, giving him the nickname Eka-danta, or "One Toothed. Another common icon associated with Ganesh is that of the snake.

According to one Purana, Ganesha simply wrapped the serpent king Vasuki around his neck. Ganesh may also be portrayed using the snake as a sacred thread, aloft in both hands, coiled at his ankles or as a throne.

However the best known story of all concerns Ganesh wrapping the snake around his stomach as a belt. According to the legend, on one of his birthdays, Ganesh went from house to house accepting offerings of sweet puddings in one version of the story the offerings are cakes made by a baker, who wishes to thank Ganesh for his good fortune in business.

Out on the road his mount the mouse stumbles, having seen a snake and become frightened, with the result that Ganesh tumbles off. His stomach bursts open and all the sweet puddings fall out. Unwilling to leave them on the ground for all to see or in the second version, for the baker to see on his way home from the bakery , Ganesh stuffs them back into his stomach and, catching hold of the snake, ties it around his belly. In some versions, the story simply stops there.

But in others, the moon in the sky, on seeing this, has a hearty laugh at his expense. Annoyed, Ganesh pulls off one of his tusks and hurls it at the moon. Once again, the symbology behind the mouse, snake, Ganesh's belly and its relationship to the moon on his birthday is highly significant, his belly representing as it does the entire cosmos which is held together by the cosmic energy of the snake kundalini.

With the association of benevolence, intelligence and strength that comes with his elephant countenance and the delightful stories that surround his creation, it is easy to understand why Ganesh is revered so highly in his homeland. But why is he also loved throughout the world? From the 10th century onwards Ganesh became the principal deity of the traders and merchants who went out of India seeking commercial trade. In later centuries many Hindus migrated to other countries and took their culture, including Ganesh, with them.

Buddhism has a particular affinity for Ganesh, representing as he does the kindest of principals associated with personal success. And since the 20th Century, Ganesh has become a favourite mascot of Western countries, partially because of the westerner's love of elephants but also because of the rewards Ganesh promises when present to oversee daily affairs. Ganesh has even made appearances on the iconic television show The Simpsons - on one particularly memorable occasion Homer tries to offer him a peanut and is admonished by Apu for his irreverence.

These are held together by the cosmic energy kundalini symbolized by the huge snake around him. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. The big belly signifies that a person should face all pleasant and unpleasant experiences during his life span with patience and calmness. Ganesh Chaturthi is a celebration of The Lord who controls the universe.

The wandering mouse also signifies the wavering human mind. As Lord Ganesh elephant head controls the mouse, we must also learn to control our mind with intellect. The king must be accessible to all the subjects equally.

Ganesh with a huge body and elephant head is close to the mouse which is a tiny creature. This indicates all lives are equal and it is the duty of every human to take care of the humble lives around.