Ganesha (also spelled
Ganesa or Ganesh) is one of the best-known and
most worshipped deities in Hinduism. Although
he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's
elephant head makes him easy to identify.
Several texts relate mythological anecdotes
associated with his birth and exploits, and
explain his distinct iconography. Ganesha is
worshipped as the lord of beginnings and as the
lord of obstacles (Vighnesha), patron of arts and
sciences, and the god of intellect and wisdom.
He is honoured with affection at the start of any
ritual or ceremony and invoked as the "Patron of
Letters" at the beginning of any writing. Ganesha
appears as a distinct deity in clearly-
recognizable form beginning in the fourth to
fifth centuries, during the Gupta Period. His
popularity rose quickly, and he was formally
included as one of the five primary deities of
Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the ninth
century. During this period, a sect of devotees
(called Ganapatya) who identify Ganesha as the
supreme
deity was formed. The principal scriptures
dedicated to his worship are the Ganesha Purana,
the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati
Atharvashirsa. Ganesha is one of the most-
worshipped divinities in India. Worship of
Ganesha is considered complementary with the
worship of other forms of the divine, and various
Hindu sects worship him regardless of other
affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely
diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and
beyond India.
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