Origin of Ganeshotsav

By Dr. Devakumar

1. Origin of Ganeshotsav (Sify News, By Michael Gonsalves in Pune )

Legend has it that one Sardar of Peshwa named Nanasaheb Khajgiwale in 1892 visited the palace of Gwalior, where he came across Ganesh Utsav. People from all walks of life took part in the celebrations. Impressed with the festivities, Nanasaheb decided to start the same kind of festival at Pune, the capital of Peshwa. Thus, in 1896 Khajgiwale, Ghotawadekar and Bhau Rangari organised a 'sarvajanik' (public) Ganesh Utsav and in the same year, Ganesh immersion ritual was also started.

In the following year, i.e., in 1897, the number of Ganesh mandals increased alarmingly, and the question of whose Ganpati should be first in the cavalcade was hotly debated. At this crucial time, veteran leaders Lokmanya Tilak and Annasaheb Patwardhan were called in to resolve the dispute. They unanimously gave first preference to Jijamata Prasthapit Kasaba Ganapati Ganesh Utsav mandal. Thereafter, people started celebrating Ganesh Utsav on a large scale.

Balgangadhar Tilak made it a public community celebrations in the name of sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. And the same concept was launched later in the Keshavji Naik Chawls in Girgaum, Mumbai. The leader’s objective was as much to bring about the social and cultural mobilisation of an enslaved populace, as it was to circumvent the British ban on public gathering.

After the British were forced out from the country, one of its important aims - to educate the masses on various current issues of the day - continues. It is as significant today as it was a hundred years ago. Political, social, economical, medical religious themes dominate the Ganapati mandals set up in every nook and cranny of the city.

Historically, this significant temple dates back to the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The temple, owned and managed by the Thakar family since its inception, was also frequented by Shivaji's mother, Jijabai. The origin of the idol is shrouded in mystery.

According to legend the deity is supposed to be swayambhu, one which emerged naturally and the Thakar family has claimed that it has records for at least two centuries before Shivaji. The Kasba Ganpati is also known as Jayati Gajanan or the Lord who is the harbinger of victory. Legend has it that Shivaji came to pay his obeisance to this deity before he waged battles and returned to worship after victorious. Interestingly, the Thakar family which migrated to Pune centuries ago from Indigaon, a village near Bijapur in Karnataka, has preserved the 'sanad' (legal document) conferring the family the ownership and management of the this historical temple. (http://www.samachar.com/newsasia/featarchives/30082003.html)

2. EVR Periyar’s Movement

In first quarter of 20^th century, the proliferation of Pillaiyar (Ganesh is called so in Tamil) was so extensive in every street corner; Mr Periyar gave a call for the removal of all such statues. In fact, he gave the slogan “A foolish man invented God; Worshipping a creator-God is foolish” etc. This led to a rationalist movement and caste-free society at least in names. Thus, one would see the Tamils from native State would bear names devoid of any religious or caste surnames.

3. Ganesh drank milk globally only on a single day, why?

On September 21, 1995, a miracle-drama enacted all over the world reviving devotion to Ganesha. It was a one-day wonder and every one forgot feeding the God on subsequent days! Yours sincerely gave a scientific explanation to this melodrama to Press Trust of India that was carried by leading newspapers on the next day. It was proved to be so!

In the next message, let me put forth my analysis of the legend and Origin of Ganesha with reference to Tirthankar cult.

The Teerthankar Cult and Hindu Ganesh

By Dr. Devakumar

Jainism is the religion of Ahimsa. Ahimsa means not to cause hurt to anyone by thoughts, speech and deeds. It is not my intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments. Lord Ganesha has arguably now become the number one Hindu God thanks to sustained efforts in the last 500 years or so. Many Jains in some regions seem to worship Ganesh and put his figure in wedding cards.

Today I want to relate the origin of Ganesha with Jainism, a religion of rulers and masses up to 1500 years ago. How many of us know that Ganesh is not mentioned before 500 AD and was quite insignificant until the mid-15th century (as mentioned in Hindu sources).

Today, I want to share with you the truth that Ganesha, also called Ganapati was invented to mask the face of Tirthankar and divert the attention of masses away from the Tirthankar cult in the medieval period. It is not easy to erase events from the public memory itched over 1000 years and one could see the retention of the same day and some of the Puja protocols as now known as Ganesh Chaturti. I shall relate these with Jain significance in the next message. Let us understand Hindu versions.

Keeping in mind that Lord Ganesha represents Tirthankar in reality; please the Hindu versions taken from various sources given below:

Ganesha is the Hindu god of wisdom, prudence, and salvation. Ga means "knowledge", na means "salvation", and isa and pati mean "lord". The Puranas differ considerably in their account of Ganesha's origin.

According to the Shiva Purana, Ganesha was born of the scurf from Parvati's body. Once, when Shiva was away, Parvati wanted someone to guard the door while she bathed. From the scurf of her body, she moulded a boy and gave him life. She told him to attend the door and not allow anyone to enter. Shiva returned, and when he tried to enter, was stopped by Ganesha. An argument arose, and enraged, Shiva cut off Ganesha's head and entered. When Parvati discovered that Shiva had entered by beheading her son, she was inconsolable. Repentant, Shiva ordered that the head of the first living being that was found should be brought to him. This happened to be the head of an elephant calf. He placed this on Ganesha's body and restored him to life.

The Brahma vaivarta Purana narrates a different story regarding the origin of Ganapati. Shiva instructed Parvati, who wanted to have a son, to observe the puNyaka vrata for a year to propitiate Vishnu. O Beautiful Goddess! Perform the worship of Hari by observing the punyaka vrata for a year. The Lord of Gopikas, the Lord of all creatures, Krishna Himself will be born as your son, as a result of the vrata. On completion of the vrata by Parvati, it was announced that Krishna would incarnate Himself as Her son in every kalpa. Accordingly, Krishna was born as a charming infant, delighting Parvati who celebrated the event with great enthusiasm. All the Gods arrived to have a look at the baby. But Shani, the son of Surya, did not look at him and stared at the ground instead. Upon Parvati's questioning regarding his behaviour, Shani said that his look would harm the baby. Parvati, however, insisted that he should look at the baby. In deference to Her wish Shani cast his eyes on the baby. Due to his malevolent glance, the baby's head was severed and flew to Goloka, the abode of Krishna. Parvati and all the Gods assembled there, including Shiva, were grief-stricken. Thereupon, Vishnu mounted Garuda and rushed to the banks of the Pushpa-bhadra River and brought back the head of a young elephant. The head of the elephant was joined with the headless body of Parvati's son, reviving him.

The Puranas say that the fourth day of the month, known as Chaturthi, is specially Ganesha auspicious for Ganesha worship. It is believed that Ganesha was born on the chaturthi of Bhadra. The Ganesha moon starts in the lunar month Bhadrapada (August/September). Ganesha Chaturthi is an important festival in India, especially in Maharashtra. ( http://www.gurjari.net/ico/Mystica/html/ganesha.htm)

Eight is a sacred number to Ganesha. His mythical life story tells us that he has links with eight 'demonic' (16) elephant guardians. The eight male elephants could be visualised as direction guardians, with Shiva and Parvati guarding the upper and lower realms. Their names are:

Kamasura (Love), Krodasura (anger), Lobhasura (greed), Mohasura (delusion), Matasura (intoxication), Mamasura (ego (17)), Abhimasura (attachment to life (18)), and Istasura (self chosen demon (19)).

Eight fold (5) Doxology of Ganesha

1. With modaka (6), garlands and incense I worship Ganesha, the beloved god with the fawn coloured eyes.
2. With a staff, a lamp and a key, I worship Ganesha, gatekeeper who removes hindrances (7).
3. With oil, herbs and water, I worship Ganesha the moon crested keeper of the sacred bath (8).
4. With wine, maithuna (9) and lotus flowers, I worship Ganesha monstrous guardian of kundalini (10).
5. With meat, fish (11) and music, I worship Ganesha, the trickster with the twisted trunk.
6. With sweets, healing herbs and haldi (12), I worship Ganesha pot bellied reliever of childbirth.
7. With poetry, blood and amulets I worship Ganesha whose single tusk is like a sword.
8. With parched grain (13), stone and poppies I worship Ganesha with the elephant's mouth, as lord of the harvest (14).

The reason for the disparity between interpretations offered in the literature is the same difference between the different sects or schools of initiation According to Adinatha Sampradaya, the symbolism reflects this.

The Form: The philosophical significance of Ganesha's Form

Ganesha's elephantine head and human body are explained as follows in the Mudgala Purana: Ganesha's human body representing 'tvam', His elephantine countenance representing 'tat' and their joining together signifies the no difference of 'tvam' (You) and 'tat' (Brahman). Thus, the body of Ganesha is the visible representation of the highest reality, Brahman, realised from 'tat tvam asi'. (Excerpted from an article by Anand Hudli (ahudli@silver.ucs.indiana.edu).

Ganesh: a grama-devata?

There has been some discussion on Ganesh who is a popular god inIndia. Apparently Ganesh has no direct connection with Jainism, but some Jains worship Ganesha while others object to such practice. According to Sandhya Jain, Ganesh is not a vedic or aryan god, but is a folk-deity. Even though the article has nothing to do with Jainism, it may of beof interest to students of history.

-Yashwant


Ganesh: a grama-devata? By Sandhya Jain

Scholars generally agree that Ganesha is of humble non-Vedic origins. He entered popular mythology only around the third or fourth centuryAD, but quickly acquired national eminence. Like Varaha, Narasimha and Hanuman, Ganesha is the rianthropic (part animal, part man), which suggests a tribal or folk origin; he entered the Hindu pantheon when these groups were co-opted as part of India's ceaseless integration process. D.P. Chattopadhyaya and H. Mitra opine that Ganesha got his animal head from an ancient tradition that revered the elephant. Recent findings of coins of Indo-Greek kings in the early pre-Christian era reveal the existence of an elephant panth in the north-west.

A Mohenjodaro seal shows a horned deity (prototype of Shiva) in yogic pose, with an elephant and a tiger on his right and a rhinoceros and a bull on his left. The bull evolved into the vehicle of Shiva and the tiger that of his consort, Parvati. The elephant evolved into the the rianthropic Ganapati, an independent god regarded as a son of Shiva. The animals on the Harappan seals were possibly deities o fgroups named after them. The Matangas (elephants) found in the pre-Christian era are synonymous with `Kiratas' and `Chandalas'. They were native tribes who evolved into a caste in the Vedic period, and may have worshipped the elephant. As they were looked down upon, this could explain why the elephant deity is not mentioned in pre-Christian sacred literature. The latter-day Matsya Purana mentions a goddess, Matangi, tutelary deity and consort of the elephant deity of the Matanga tribe.

Panini mentions a tribe called Hastinayanas (hasti=elephant), the martial Astakinoi whom Alexander encountered in the region of Bactria, Kapisha (modern Begram, 80 kms north of Kabul ) and Gandhara with its two capitals at Taxila and Puskalavati. The elephant wa slinked with the tutelary goddess of the city of Kapisha. Coins at tributed to Eucratides bear an image of a female deity, Kavishiyenagara devata (deity of the city of the Kapishi), along with the symbol of a mountain and the head of an elephant. Indo-Greek coins found at Taxila also depict the elephant. Philostratus reports that a sacred elephant lived in the Sun Temple of Taxila in the firstcentury AD.

The elephant figures on a number of tribal coins in early India . The Arjunayanas (approx. 100 BC) of the Delhi-Jaipur-Agra region had acoin showing an elephant with uplifted trunk before a tree. The Kadasin the Punjab region, late third century or early second century BC, had coins depicting the elephant and bull, as did the Yaudheyas. TheAudumbaras (Kangra, approx. 100 BC), linked the elephant with the sacred tree or with the snake.

The earliest literary reference to Ganesha is found in Hala's Saptasati, in Prakrit. It contains an obscure reference to the god's mysterious power over the sea. Tiruvalanjuli near Kumbhakonam inTanjore district has a tenth century temple with an image of SvetaVinayaka, believed to have been worshipped by the gods so they could successfully churn the ocean.

Scholars concur that Ganesha is a composite deity, who over time achieved divinity by acquiring four hands and an exclusive vahan, the mouse. He is a fusion of Gajanana (elephant-faced), Lambodara (pot-bellied), Ekadanta (one-tusked), Ganadhipa (Lord of ganas), Vinayaka (great leader), Vighneshvara (Lord of obstacles), Vighnakarta (creator of obstacles) and Vighnaharta (remover of obstacles). He won priority of worship (agrapuja) as Vinayaka shanti (pacification of Vinayaka) became the key to success in any activity.

Ganesha was most likely originally a gramadevata Vinayaka who was aVighnakarta. There were four Vinayakas gramadevatas causing suffering and disease, at least from the time of the Manavagrihyasutra (7th-4thcentury BC). These coalesced into a single Vinayaka by the time of the Yajnavalkyasmirti (1st-3rd century AD). Vinayaka now became son of Ambika, who merged with Shiva's spouse, Parvati. By the post-Gupta period, Vinayaka became the son of Shiva and Parvati and leader of Shiva's hosts, the rudraganas. He became Ganesha, lord of ganas, agod of high status. From two-armed Vinayaka, the god acquired four(or more) arms. His familiar attributes include laddus/modaka(sweets), ankusa (goad), pasa (noose) and a tusk.

Modern scholars are emphatic that Ganesha is not the Ganapati of theVedas. In fact, this Ganapati has been identified with different deities at different times:- Agni, Vishnu, the Maruts, Varuna, Indra,Soma, Rudra. The identification of Ganesha with Ganapati of the RigVeda (II.23.I) came only in the fifth-sixth century AD through the efforts of the now extinct group, the Ganapatyas. At this time he was also elevated as elder (jyestha) brother of Skanda, who was historically older, because the mantra designated Ganapati asjyestharajam!

That Ganesha is not a Vedic deity can be seen from the fact thatGanesha, Vinayaka and Ganapati are missing in the Vedic rituals of Vaisvadeva (Visvedevah), sacrifices to devayajna (sacrifice to gods), bhutayajna (sacrifice to spirits) involving bali-harana (offering butnot in fire) and pitryajna (sacrifice to manes). Vedic shanti rites to appease the male volent aspects of a deity and make it benevolentare addressed to several Vedic gods, but not to Ganesha, Vinayaka or Ganapati.

The Mahabharata (critical ed.) does not mention either Ganesha orVinayaka; the term ganeshvara is an epithet of Vishnu (Mbh.13.135.79); this suggests the epic was composed prior to the `invention' of Ganesha. The legend of Ganesha serving as scribe of Vyasa to record the epic is not mentioned in the grantha manuscripts or in Ksemendra's Bharatamanjari; only in the tenth century Rajasekhara asserts in Balabharata I.120 that Vinayaka was appointed lekhaka (scribe) for the Bharata Samhita or Mahabharata.

That Ganesha was not a classical god is evident from the fact that hedid not have a vehicle of his own. The mouse became vahana of only five incarnations (Ekadanta, Mahodara, Gajanana, Lambodara and Dhumravarna). The vahan of Vakratunda is simha (lion), Vikata ismayura (peacock) and Vighnaraja has the sesha (divine serpent). In Jaina iconography Ganesha is a Yaksha of Tirthankara Parshvanatha and his vehicle is the tortoise. Jaina temples depict the god with other vahanas such as the elephant, ram or peacock. In Thailand, he can be seen standing on a tortoise.

The choice of mouse as the god's vahana identifies Ganesha as a low-level folk deity. The Ganesha Purana reveals a rat frequently causedextensive damage in Rishi Parasara's ashram, devouring grain anddamaging clothes, books, and garden. Finally, Parasara's son Gajamukha caught the rat with his noose (pasa) and made it his mount, symbolically subjugating it. The rat symbolises destruction, evil, obstacles to success; its status as vahan of Ganesha underlines the god's humble origins as a gramadevata, sub jugator of the enemy ofvillage folk.

Ganesha's rising stature was ensconced forever once the god caught the imagination of Maharashtrian bhakti saints, especially Jnanesvara, in the thirteenth century. Sarasvati Gangadhara (fifteenth century) in Gurucharitra said Ganapati prevented Ravana from possessing the Shivalinga, which would have made him invincible.