Happy Vinayaka Chavithi
Gajananam Bhoota Ganadi Sevitam,
Kapittha Jambu Phalasara Bhakshitam |
Umasutam Shoka Vinasha Karanam
Namami Vighneswara Pada Pankajam ||
The above hymn is in praise of Vinayaka. The translation goes like this…
Elephant Faced, Served by the elements and members of the netherworld, One who eats guavas, berries, and all fruits, Son of Uma, Destroyer of Sadness and Obstacles, I bow to you Vigneswara [Another name for Vinayaka], at your lotus feet.
Happy Vinayaka Chavithi. Its my favourite God’s birthday today... Mercury ruled, uber cool, highly intelligent and witty. I do so wish I was back in Hyderabad amongst the festivities. But meanwhile, I show my love by creating a Vinayaka theme for my blog. Dont miss out viewing the cute mouse in the footer, and the lotus leaf in the header.
Why did I move to my new blog address today? Ganesha rules wisdom and prudence. Two qualities that I admire. Also he is the celestial scribe who can write very fast. [Strong Mercury, Its the virgo month after all…] And I am a blogger after all….
Ganesha is one of the most popular deities in the Hindu pantheon. He is closely associated with the daily lives of millions of Hindus even today. As he is reputed to be a remover of obstacles he is propitiated before the beginning of any new venture whether it is the building of a new house, the writing of a book, the beginning of a journey or the starting of a new business. His images adorn the walls of innumerable business establishments across India. It is customary for businessmen to seek his blessings each morning before they get down to business. Ganesha is also the god of wisdom and prudence. These qualities are signified through his two wives: Buddhi (wisdom) and Siddhi (prudence). Ganesha has a thorough knowledge of the scriptures and is a superb scribe. This latter quality is manifest through the fact that he is the scribe to whom Vyas Dev (the narrator of the Hindu epic Mahabharata) narrated his enormous epic. Ganesha did this work so thoroughly that the Mahabharata is one of the most harmonious works in the Hindu scriptures. Scholars, both mythical and historical, explain that this is so because, before undertaking to do the work, Ganesha stipulated that the dictation should never falter and that he should, at all times, be able to understand what was being said. Thus, it is not strange that such a conscientious god is propitiated by all and sundry.
Read all about him in the encyclopedia Mythica..
Some Interesting points about Vinayaka :
The most famous Vinayak temple in India, is in Bombay. Its called the SiddiVinayak Temple. It obviously has the grandest Ganapati festival. You can see a very modern photo of it here.
Most icons of Ganapati depict the elephant faced God with his trunk curled towards his left. (Like in the icon on the top of the page..) Siddhi Vinayak in Mumbai, Siddhi Vinayak at Siddhatek in Maharashtra as well as Karpaka Vinayakar at Pillayarpatti in Tamilnadu are depicted with a trunk pointing to the right (Valampuri).
Courtesy: Indiantemples.com
My childhood consisted of some very memorable trips to the Madhur Madanatheswara temple in Kasargod district of Kerala, which is a hop away from Mangalore. The headpriest Sri Kalluraya, was a good friend and mentor for my dad, and we used to cherish our visits to the temple and his place. The foodie that I am, I used to love the Neyyi Appam.
In Hyderabad, the Vinayak temples I used to frequent are the ones near Secbad railway station and Maredpally temple. The colony association where my parents lived used to organize, cultural festivals, which we used to look forward to. The talent pool was pretty good. Dont know, if its happening even now or not…Over all, its a nice feel. Personally at Omaha, my son would be getting another belt award for his Karate, and we plan to visit the temple in the evening.