Who is the goddess of elephants?
Ganesha
Vināyakī is an elephant-headed Hindu goddess. Her historical and iconography are not clearly defined. Little is told about her in Hindu scriptures and very few images of this deity exist. Vinayaki is mentioned as the consort of Lord Ganesha.
Why does Ganesh have 5 heads?
Each head of Panchamukhi Ganesh symbolises the Pancha Koshas or five sheaths in the subtle anatomy of human beings. They are the Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya, and Anandamaya. The five faces symbolise the five components that make for the human physique.
What is the Indian goddess that looks like an elephant?
Ganesha, also spelled Ganesh, also called Ganapati, elephant-headed Hindu god of beginnings, who is traditionally worshipped before any major enterprise and is the patron of intellectuals, bankers, scribes, and authors.
What does the Ganesh elephant symbolize?
The large elephant head of Lord Ganesha symbolizes wisdom, understanding, and a discriminating intellect that one must possess to attain perfection in life. The right tusk represents wisdom and the left tusk represents emotion.
What is the elephant god called?
Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles and the offspring of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and his consort the goddess Parvathi. Several myths detail his birth and acquisition of the elephant head.
Who is Gauri Ganesh?
Gauri is an avatar of Ma Parvati, mother of Lord Ganesha. In Karnataka, Gauri is considered Lord Ganesha’s mother as Gauri puja occurs a day before or on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. · In West Bengal, Ma Saraswati and Ma Lakshmi are sisters of Lord Ganesha, and they are the children of Ma Durga.
What is Panchmukhi Ganesh?
Panchmukhi Ganesha is a representation of Lord Ganesh with five faces. Each of the faces of Panchamukhi Ganesha faces a different direction and hence the name. Panchamugha Ganesha is regarded as an embodiment of all potencies.
Why is Ganesha called Heramba?
Heramba is also used as an epithet of Ganesha in the Ganesha Purana. The Brahma vaivarta Purana explains the meaning of Heramba: the syllable he denotes helpnessless or weakness, while ramba is protection of the weak, to save them from harm; thus Heramba means the “Protector of the weak and good people”.
Is the tusk of Ganesh real?
The Tusk of Ganesh is a golden, bejeweled treasure in the shape of an elephant’s tusk. It has two rubies embedded on the front, a blue jeweled inlay, silver filigree, and is overall studded with blue gemstones. Within Hinduism, the Cintamani is related to gods Vishnu and Ganesha.
Is Ganesh the god of wisdom?
Ganesh is the Ever-Blissful, elephant-headed deva (god) who is lovingly worshipped and revered by millions of people worldwide. He is also worshipped as the God of wisdom, wealth, health, celibacy, fertility and happiness. He is also the God of education, knowledge and wisdom, literature, and the fine arts.
Who is the elephant headed goddess of birth?
Elephant-headed females appearing in the Puranas are demonesses or cursed goddesses. In a tale about Ganesha’s birth, the elephant-headed demoness Malini gives birth to Ganesha after drinking the bath-water of Parvati, Ganesha’s mother.
Why was the elephant head important to Ganesha?
Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha’s elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom.
Who are the three independent goddesses of Ganesha?
However, scholar Krishan believes that Vinayakis in early elephant-headed matrikas, the Brahmanical shakti of Ganesha, and the Tantric yogini are three distinct goddesses. In the Jain and Buddhist traditions, Vinayaki is an independent goddess.
What is the significance of the white elephant in India?
Significance of Elephant in Indian religions A white elephant is considered an auspicious sign if it appears in one’s dream. The mythical white elephant is revered not only by Hindus but also by people of all religions of India owing to its religious significance.