About Ganesha
The Puranas tell how Parvati shaped him to guard her door and how Shiva, not knowing him, struck off his head, then restored him to life with the head of an elephant and made him lord of his ganas (Ganapati). He is the patron of learning and writing: tradition holds that he wrote down the Mahabharata as Vyasa dictated it.
His broken tusk, large ears, modak in hand and humble mouse as vahana are each read as lessons: sacrifice for knowledge, patient listening, the sweetness of realisation and mastery over restless desire.
Ganesha mantra
Ganesha mool mantra
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
oṁ gaṁ gaṇapataye namaḥ
Om, salutations to Ganapati, whose seed sound is Gam.
Prayers to Ganesha 7
Chalisas, aartis, stotras and mantras for Ganesha, each with the full text, transliteration and meaning.
Daily shlokas
Festivals of Ganesha
Temples of Ganesha
Siddhivinayak Temple सिद्धिविनायक मंदिर
Mumbai, Maharashtra · Ganesha
Mumbai's most famous temple. Idol has trunk tilted right (rare — Dakshina-mukhi). Celebrity devotees. Angarki Chaturthi (Tuesday Chaturthi) is most sacred — pre-dawn queues 10+ hours. VIP darshan available.
Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati दगडूशेठ हलवाई गणपति
Pune, Maharashtra · Ganesha
Most famous Ganesha of Pune. Grand Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Built by sweet-maker Dagdusheth after losing his son. Lokmanya Tilak used to visit. Golden decorations. Closely associated with the early public Ganeshotsav.
Khajrana Ganesh Temple खजराना गणेश मंदिर
Indore, Madhya Pradesh · Ganesha
Among India's wealthiest Ganesh temples. Built by Ahilyabai Holkar after she was told in a dream where to find the buried idol. Wish-fulfilling (Khajrana — "treasure").
Moreshwar (Mayureshwar) Temple मोरेश्वर मंदिर
Morgaon, Maharashtra · Ganesha
The first and most important of the eight Ashtavinayak shrines, and the chief centre of the Ganapatya tradition. The Ashtavinayak yatra traditionally begins and ends here, before Ganesha as Mayureshwar, the rider of the peacock.
Siddhivinayak Temple, Siddhatek सिद्धिविनायक मंदिर
Siddhatek, Maharashtra · Ganesha
The second shrine of the Ashtavinayak circuit, on the banks of the Bhima river. It is the only Ashtavinayak murti with the trunk turned to the right, and tradition links it to Vishnu gaining victory over the demons Madhu and Kaitabha.
Ballaleshwar Temple बल्लालेश्वर मंदिर
Pali, Maharashtra · Ganesha
The third Ashtavinayak shrine and the only one named after a devotee, the boy Ballal. It lies at the foot of Sarasgad fort in Raigad district.
Varadavinayak Temple वरदविनायक मंदिर
Mahad (Khalapur), Maharashtra · Ganesha
The fourth Ashtavinayak shrine, near Khopoli, where Ganesha is worshipped as the giver of boons. It is the one Ashtavinayak temple where devotees may enter the sanctum and offer worship to the murti themselves.
Chintamani Temple चिंतामणि मंदिर
Theur, Maharashtra · Ganesha
The fifth Ashtavinayak shrine, near Pune, where Ganesha is worshipped as Chintamani, the remover of worries. It was dear to the Peshwa Madhavrao I, who spent his last days here.
Girijatmaj Temple गिरिजात्मज मंदिर
Lenyadri (Junnar), Maharashtra · Ganesha
The sixth Ashtavinayak shrine and the only one on a hill and inside a cave. Ganesha is worshipped here as Girijatmaj, son of Parvati, in an ancient Buddhist rock-cut cave reached by a climb of about 300 steps.
Vighneshwar Temple विघ्नेश्वर मंदिर
Ozar, Maharashtra · Ganesha
The seventh Ashtavinayak shrine, on the Kukadi river, where Ganesha is worshipped as Vighneshwar, lord of obstacles, after defeating the demon Vighnasura. Its golden dome and walled courtyard make it one of the most striking temples of the circuit.
Mahaganapati Temple महागणपति मंदिर
Ranjangaon, Maharashtra · Ganesha
The eighth Ashtavinayak shrine, on the Pune-Ahilyanagar highway. Tradition says Shiva worshipped Ganesha here before destroying the demon Tripurasura, and Ganesha is honoured as Mahaganapati, the most powerful form.
Manakula Vinayagar Temple मनकुला विनायगर मंदिर
Puducherry, Puducherry · Ganesha (Manakula Vinayagar)
Puducherry's best-known temple, dedicated to Ganesha, standing in the old town near the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It is older than the French settlement, and tradition tells of attempts to remove the deity that failed.
Ucchi Pillayar Temple, Rockfort उच्चि पिल्लैयार मंदिर, रॉकफोर्ट
Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu · Ganesha (Ucchi Pillayar)
A Ganesha shrine perched on the summit of Tiruchirappalli's Rockfort, linked by legend to the founding of Srirangam. The climb offers sweeping views over the Kaveri, Srirangam and the city.
Karpaka Vinayakar Temple, Pillayarpatti कर्पग विनायक मंदिर, पिल्लैयारपट्टी
Pillayarpatti (near Tiruppattur), Tamil Nadu · Ganesha (Karpaka Vinayakar)
One of the best-known Ganesha temples of Tamil Nadu, built around an early rock-cut cave with a two-armed Ganesha whose trunk curls to the right, and a revered temple of the Nagarathar community.
Sri Varasidhi Vinayaka Swamy Temple श्री वरसिद्धि विनायक स्वामी मंदिर
Kanipakam, Andhra Pradesh · Ganesha (Varasidhi Vinayaka)
A leading Ganesha shrine of South India, where the self-manifested Vinayaka is believed to sit in a well of water and to grow slowly in size. Devotees also come here to take solemn oaths before the deity.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Ganesha worshipped first?
As lord of the ganas and remover of obstacles, Ganesha is honoured at the start of every rite so that the work goes ahead without hindrance. The Puranas add the story of the contest in which he circled his parents, saying they were his whole world, and was declared the first to be worshipped.
Which day is best for Ganesha puja?
Wednesday is his weekly day. Each month the Chaturthi tithi is sacred to him: Sankashti Chaturthi in the waning fortnight and Vinayaka Chaturthi in the waxing one. Ganesh Chaturthi in Bhadrapada is his main festival.
Why is durva grass offered to Ganesha?
A popular Purana story tells that Ganesha swallowed the fiery demon Analasura and the burning in his body was soothed only by durva grass, so bunches of durva, usually in odd numbers, are offered to him.