The Ideal in the Idol

Come August/September (depending on the cycle of the moon) and the states of Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu gear up for the arrival of the elephant-headed God. The festival popularly known as Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi. It is celebrated in every home, big and small besides the public celebrations.

Lord Ganesha has different names pertaining to his different characteristics. He is the Vignahartha: the remover of obstacles. The Ganesha: leader of the Ganas. Lord Ganesha signifies the formless divinity. He is the Unborn, Formless, Limitless, Attributeless encapsulated in a form. He is the one from whence the Universe has come.

The very form of Ganesha might seem mind boggling or even weird to some, but as I mentioned earlier, every part of him is symbolic of a deeper meaning.

Big head: Think big. Signifies wisdom & knowledge.
Big ears: Listen more
Small mouth: Talk less
Trunk: Explore, discover & learn. Be adaptable and flexible in all circumstances.
Sharp eyes: Observe carefully, concentrate.
Smiling face: Smile through obstacles
Snake round his belly: What goes round, comes round: The Cosmic law. It is the Lord who gives order and holds the Universe together, else it would be chaos. The atoms that make up the universe follow an order, the Supreme Cosmic Law.
Axe: Cut away bondages ruthlessly. Be free.
Rope: Pull yourself towards the Goal.
Lotus: Be in the world but not of the world. Like the lotus that retains its purity while taking its nutrition from the murky pond, so should we live in this world, fresh and pure, untouched by its impurities.
Large belly: Generosity and total acceptance of all that life has to offer, whether good or bad.
Single tusk: Discrimination. Retain what is good, discard the bad.
Mouse: Symbolises our desires. Keep them small and under control, otherwise it will take you for a ride and create havoc in your life.
Modak: The fruit of your good actions
Prasad (ladoo): You live life as signified above and the result will be that the world will be at your feet, you will rule.

What touches me most though, is the very significance of the festival. Like all Hindu festivals the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi too is symbolic in nature and has layers of meaning, ranging from the superficial to the deepest. It is not just the rejoicing of the coming of Lord Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati. Its goes much deeper. The idol of Ganesha is made of clay and to clay it goes back after two days of celebrations. Indeed a strong reminder that we have come from the soil and to the soil we shall return. While we are here, live life to the fullest, let every day be a celebration of life. It is not a negative reminder for creating fear of our mortality nay it is a reminder to not waste life in pettiness bearing in mind that our time here is limited.

As we celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi this year let us strive to remember, that what we are to worship is not the idol but the ideal in the idol. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!