Ganesh, Remover of Obstacles

Ganesh. Kalighat painting, India, 19th century. Cleveland Museum of Art. Anonymous author.
Ganesh. Kalighat painting, India, 19th century. Cleveland Museum of Art. Anonymous author.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. CC0.

“In heaven, Ganesh shall establish the predominance of the gods; on earth, that of the people; in the underworld, that of the serpents and the anti-gods.” From a hymn of the Sri Bhagavat Tathva

Ganesh is one of the most popular deities in the Hindu pantheon, even though it is quite possible that he was originally a tribal totem later absorbed into Hindu practice. According to legend, Ganesh has the head of an elephant because his father did not recognize him and cut off his head while Ganesh was protecting his mother, Parvati. Upon realizing his mistake, Shiva promised to replace it with the head of the first creature he encountered, which was an elephant. Ganesh is venerated as the Remover of Obstacles, the Lord of Beginnings, and the Lord of Knowledge.