Ganesha Carvings

Ganesha, Ganesh, or Ganapati is known as "The Remover Of Obstacles" and the "Lord Of Good Fortune" and is one of the best known and most worshipped deities in Hinduism. As "The God of Success", his image is to be worshipped before any other gods during Hindu rituals and honored with affection at the start of any ritual or ceremony and is also invoked as the "Patron of Letters" at the beginning of any writing.

Many people mistakenly believe that Ganesha is an elephant, on the contrary. Ganesha is actually a "human" god, meaning that his physical characteristics are similar to those of humans. However, Ganesha does indeed have an elephant's head, which some say he was born with. The most common story is that Ganesha was born with a human head and body and that his father, Shiva, beheaded him when Ganesha came between him and his wife, Parvati, Ganesha's mother. Shiva then replaced Ganesha's original head with that of an elephant.

Throughout India and in Hindu culture, Ganesha is the first icon brought into a new home. They believe that Ganesha brings success and prosperity and will then invoke him to come to their aid and grant them success.

In regards to placing him in your home, or office, first and foremost, Ganesha should always be given a place of honor and respect. Always place Ganesha in a north, north-east or west facing direction, with him facing into the room. Placing him in your living room will help to bring harmony to your home, but placing him with his backside toward any room will bring poverty to the space. Never place him facing south, in or near a bathroom, against a wall shared with a bathroom, bedroom, garage, laundry room, kitchen, underneath a staircase, towards the outside of your home, facing a door or window and never on the floor of any room if you wish for him to bestow good fortune upon you.