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Introduction
GANESH is known as ‘Mangal-murti’-the auspicious deity. It is a common Custom to worship and pray this son of Shiva and Parvati when undertaking any important work or beginning any auspicious occasion like marriage or thread ceremony.Formerly it was a prevalent tradition of affixing or carving the image of Ganesh on the lintel of the entrance of houses and for that reason it was most commonly known as Ganeshpatti. Today a picture of Ganesh is affixed at the same place, that is, in the centre of the lintel of the Doorframe when a marriage or thread ceremony is to take place in one’s house.
The Ganesh image is one of the many most curious features that Hindumythology and iconography have conceived. With a plump body, a round belly, this god with an elephant head and trunk has selected the pretty little mouse as his vahana. The ankush, shankha and pasha are some of his ayudhas. However, most of the images from the important Ganesh kshetras are of a very crude nature d are known as ‘Swayambhu’ or self-created. They do not have the elaborate carvings necessary to indicate the ayudhas.
Although practically every town and village of Maharashtra would have at least one temple of Ganesh, the places most famous as centres of Ganesh worship are the Ashtavinayaks.
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