Pillaiyar

Pillaiyar is the Tamil name for the Hindu god Ganesha, also known as Ganapati or Vinayaka. In Tamil-speaking regions he is revered as the remover of obstacles and as a god of beginnings, intellect, and the arts. He is traditionally considered the eldest son of Shiva and Parvati and is widely worshiped in both temples and home shrines across India and among the Indian diaspora.

In iconography, Pillaiyar is depicted with an elephant head on a human body, often shown as stout and with a pot-bellied form. He typically has four arms and carries symbolic items such as a rope to lure devotees forward, an axe to cut attachments, and a modak, a sweet reward associated with spiritual practice. A common attribute is a broken tusk on one side. He is frequently shown with a mouse, his vehicle, nearby or at his feet.

Worship and symbolism center on his role as the remover of obstacles and as a patron of beginnings, learning, and wisdom. Legends about his birth and life vary by tradition; in many tales he is created by Parvati, blocked from entering her world by Shiva, and subsequently honored as a divine guardian. One popular motif explains the broken tusk as a writing instrument used to compose the Mahabharata. Ganesha is also invoked at the start of rituals and ceremonies, and the festival Ganesh Chaturthi is a major cultural and religious celebration, marked by the installation of clay idols, offerings of modaks and flowers, and communal processions.