Ganesha (/ɡəˈneɪʃə/; Sanskrit: गणेश, Gaṇeśa; 
listen (help·info)), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, Pillaiyar and Binayak, is one of the best-known and most worshiped deities in the Hindu pantheon.[4] His image is found throughout India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Nepal.[5] Hindu denominations worship him regardless of affiliations.[6] Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains and Buddhists.[7]
listen (help·info)), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, Pillaiyar and Binayak, is one of the best-known and most worshiped deities in the Hindu pantheon.[4] His image is found throughout India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Nepal.[5] Hindu denominations worship him regardless of affiliations.[6] Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains and Buddhists.[7]
Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify.[8]Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles,[9] the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom.[10] As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rites and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions.[11][2] Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.
Ganesha likely emerged as a deity as early as the 2nd century AD,[12] but most certainly by the 4th and 5th centuries AD, during the Gupta period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors.[13] Hindu mythology identifies him as the restored son of Parvati and Shiva of the Shaivismtradition, but he is a pan-Hindu god found in its various traditions.[14][15] In the Ganapatya tradition of Hinduism, Ganesha is the supreme deityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha
