Ganesh, and also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka, is a widely worshipped deity in Hinduism. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesh is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.
Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha’s elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesh is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the God of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies. Ganesh is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions.
The names Vighnesha and Vighneshvara (Lord of Obstacles) refers to his primary function in Hindu theology as the master and remover of obstacles (vighna).
Though Ganesh is popularly held to be the son of Shiva and Parvati, the Puranic stories give different versions about his birth. The family includes his brother the war god Kartikeya, who is also called Subramanya, Skanda, Murugan and other names. Regional differences dictate the order of their births. In northern India, Skanda is generally said to be the elder, while in the south, Ganesh is considered the first born.
Ganesh’s marital status, the subject of considerable scholarly review, varies widely in mythological stories. One pattern of myths identifies Ganesh as an unmarried brahmacari. This view is common in southern India and parts of northern India. Another pattern associates him with the concepts of Buddhi(intellect), Siddhi (spiritual power), and Riddhi (prosperity); these qualities are sometimes personified as goddesses, said to be Ganesha’s wives. He also may be shown with a single consort or a nameless servant (Dassi). Another pattern connects Ganesh with the goddess of culture and the arts,Sarasvati or Śarda (particularly in Maharashtra). He is also associated with the goddess of luck and prosperity, Lakshmi.
The Shiva Purana says that Ganesh had two sons: Kşema (prosperity) and Lābha (profit). In northern Indian variants of this story, the sons are often said to be Śubha (auspiciouness) and Lābha .