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ganapati

Ganapati is an epithet of Ganesha, a principal Hindu deity revered as the remover of obstacles and the lord of beginnings. The name derives from Sanskrit gana "group, multitude" and pati "lord" or "ruler." Ganesha is traditionally regarded as the son of Shiva and Parvati and the elder brother of Kartikeya. He is widely worshipped across Hinduism and the Indian diaspora and is commonly invoked at the start of rituals and undertakings.

Iconography often depicts Ganesha with an elephant head on a human body, typically with four arms holding

Ganapati is particularly associated with Ganesh Chaturthi, a major festival in Maharashtra and other regions, involving

an
ankusha
(goad),
a
pasha
(noose),
a
broken
tusk,
and
a
modak,
and
his
vehicle
is
the
mouse.
He
is
also
depicted
in
forms
such
as
Ekadanta
(one-tusk)
and
Lambodara
(the
corpulent
belly).
The
elephant
head
and
large
belly
carry
symbolic
meanings—wisdom,
prudence,
abundance,
and
the
ability
to
overcome
obstacles.
A
popular
legend
narrates
that
Parvati
created
Ganapati
and
Shiva
replaced
his
missing
head
with
that
of
an
elephant.
the
installation
of
clay
idols,
daily
prayers,
processions,
and
the
immersion
of
idols
in
a
body
of
water.
The
Ganapati
Atharvasirsha
is
an
Upanishadic
text
dedicated
to
him,
and
many
devotees
begin
ceremonies
with
his
invocation
for
auspicious
beginnings.