Lord Ganesha
Specialties : No matter who is worshipped or what auspicious work is started, the first worship is done to Ganesha. This is a boon he received from Shiva. That is why he is called 'Agra Pujya'. He is the one who creates and removes obstacles. His specialty is to remove obstacles in the work we do and achieve success. If Veda Vyasa is narrating the Mahabharata, then Ganesha is the great writer who turned his tusk into a pen and wrote it. This is a testament to his intelligence and dedication.
Famous Temple : 1) Ashtavinayak Kshetra (Maharashtra)
2) Kanipakam Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy (Andhra Pradesh)
Pleasing to Lord Ganesha:
Durva Grass (garika): Offering 21 blades of Durva grass is considered highly auspicious and sacred during his worship.
Modaks and Undrallu: Modaks and jaggery-based Undrallu (steamed rice balls) are his most favorite food offerings (Naivedyam).
Red Flowers: He is particularly fond of red flowers, especially the Hibiscus (Mandara).
Shami Leaves: Worshipping him with Shami (Jammi) leaves is believed to remove obstacles from one's path.
Kudumulu: These are traditional rice-flour dumplings that are considered very dear to him.
Wood Apple and Jamun: The Wood Apple (Velagapandu) and Rose Apple/Jamun (Neredu) are mentioned in the Puranas as his favorite fruits.
Father: Lord Shiva
Mother: Goddess Parvati
Divine Consort : Siddhi, Buddhi
Children:
Sons : Shubham (Siddhi), Gaap (Buddhi)
Daughter : Santoshi Mata
Siblings: Kumaraswamy, Asokasundari
Abode: Swananda Lokam (Special Abode) According to the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana, Vinayaka has a special abode called 'Swananda Lokam'. This is also known as 'Ganesha Lokam'. It is described as always filled with happiness.
Aliases: We recite 108 names (Ashtottara Shatanamavali) for Vinayaka. Some of the most famous ones are 1). Ganapati 2). Ganesha 3). Vigneswara 4). Gajanana 5). Lambodhara 6). Ekadanta 7). Vakrathunda 8). Musika Vahana 9). Son of Parvati.......
Vehicle: Mouse (Rat)
Weapon: The main weapon in the hand of Lord Ganesha is called 'Pashankusha'. 1). Pashan 2). Ankusha 3). Broken Tusk 4). Parashu 5). Padma
Festivals of ganasha: Vinayaka Chavithi, a clay idol of Ganapati is installed on the day of Vinayaka Chavithi (Bhadrapada Shuddha Chavithi). The festival lasts for nine days (11 days in some places). On the last day, the idol is immersed in water.
Birth Secret: When the demon Gajasura, who was a giant-faced demon, took the soul-lingam of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Gajasura demanded that his head should be worshipped in all the worlds. Lord Vishnu responded accordingly and Lord Shiva placed Gajasura's head on the forehead of Lord Vinayukta. Thus, Lord Vinayukta took the form of Lord Vinayukta to remove obstacles in the world.
Death: In Hinduism, gods and goddesses do not die like humans, but rather they transform from one form to another or become immortal. The Puranas say that Lord Ganesha reaches his divine abode after completing his work.
Biography:
In the past, the demon with the face of Gaja had asked for an unattainable boon, that he would be invincible and that no one would kill him, and that the Lord would reside in his belly. Then, saying, "I am the Lord," Shiva became a small soul-lingam and remained in the belly of Gajasura. Hearing this, Goddess Parvati got upset and prayed to Lord Vishnu. Nandeeshwar's Gangireddu, she (Vishnu) disguised herself as Gangireddu and waved the Gangireddu to please Gajasura. Then, Gajasura said, "Whatever you want, I will definitely give you my word," and he asked for the Lord Shiva in his belly. Realizing that all this was Vishnu's illusion, Gajasura thought that evil was lurking for him, and addressed Shiva, "Lord! My life is about to end due to the influence of Sri Hari. He offered his body to Nandeeshwar and freed Shiva from the abdominal cavity by giving him a boon that my head would be worshipped by the three worlds after me and that my skin would be worn by you forever. Hearing that good news, Goddess Parvati, thinking of taking a bath and welcoming her husband, made an image of a boy out of flour, consecrated it to life and kept it as a guard in front of the bathhouse. Meanwhile, when Lord Shiva was about to join Parvati with great joy.. the boy objected and stopped the three. The Lord, enraged by this, beheaded the boy. Seeing this, Maheshwari, to alleviate her grief, attached the head of the giant Gaja to the boy and consecrated his life. According to the Puranas, Shiva made the boy the ruler of the three worlds by setting up a race around the world between the giant Gaja and his second son, Kumaraswamy.