Ganesha
గణేశుడుगणेशவிநாயகர்ಗಣೇಶगणपती
The elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, remover of obstacles, worshipped first before other deities. The Ashtavinayaka of Maharashtra are eight self-manifested (swayambhu) forms.
10 temples
Ballal, the son of the Pali merchant Kalyan, leads the village children in worshipping a large stone as Ganesha. His father, angry that the boys stay out late, breaks their shrines, beats Ballal, ties him to a tree…
- 3 · Ashtavinayaka
The sage Kapila owns the chintamani, a wish-granting jewel, and uses it to feed a visiting prince, Gana, and his retinue. Gana demands the jewel and takes it by force. Kapila worships Ganesha, who defeats Gana and…
- 5 · Ashtavinayaka
Parvati, also called Girija, meditates at Lenyadri for twelve years, seeking Ganesha as her son. Ganesha grants the boon. Parvati shapes a clay image of him and, through her worship, it comes to life. The site is…
- 6 · Ashtavinayaka
Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy Temple, Kanipakam
కాణిపాకం శ్రీ వరసిద్ధి వినాయక స్వామి ఆలయం
Varasiddhi Vinayaka · Kanipakam, Andhra Pradesh
Three brothers — one unable to speak, one unable to hear, one unable to see — dig a well to water their field. Their tool strikes a stone, blood flows, and the brothers are cured. The villagers find the Ganesha image…
Tripurasura, protected by three cities no ordinary attack can destroy, drives the gods from their places. Shiva marches against him and fails, because he went to war without first invoking Ganesha. Shiva then…
- 8 · Ashtavinayaka
In the Treta Yuga the demon Sindhu holds a bowl of amrita given to him by the Sun and swallows it so that no one can take it from him. Ganesha, born to Parvati after her penance at Lenyadri, takes as his mount a…
- 1 · Ashtavinayaka
The temple was consecrated in November 1801 as a small structure around a black stone image of Ganesha, about two and a half feet across, with a trunk bending to the right and Riddhi and Siddhi at its sides. When the…
At the start of creation Brahma sits on the lotus that grows from Vishnu's navel. Two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, spring from Vishnu's ear and wreck Brahma's work. Vishnu wakes and fights them but cannot win, and…
- 2 · Ashtavinayaka
Gritsamada is born when Indra, disguised as Prince Rukmangada, comes to Mukunda, the wife of the sage Vachaknavi, after the real prince had refused her. Learning of his birth, Gritsamada curses his mother, and she…
- 4 · Ashtavinayaka
King Abhinandana performs a sacrifice and leaves Indra without a share. Indra sends Kala, Time, to destroy it; Kala becomes the demon Vighnasura, who wrecks the sacrifice and goes on disrupting rites everywhere. The…
- 7 · Ashtavinayaka