Ganesh, also called Ganapati, is the elephant headed God of Wisdom and Success and is the defender and remover of obstacles.

 

He is perhaps the most well-known of the of the Hindu gods and a highly regarded deity in India. It is traditional in Indian homes to display a small shrine to this Hindu god to curry his favor and ensure that success is attainable.

Ganesha is also one of the sons of Shiva and Parvati. He is known as "Sidhi Data" or bestower of success in work. His elephant head is believed to be an emblem of wisdom. His head often has one full tusk, while the other is broken. It is said that he lost it in a fight or that he used it to dictate the Maha-Bharata to the sage Vyasa.

 

His mount or "vehicle" is a rat, a symbol in Hindu fable of the sagacity and trickery of this world, much like the fox in the west. So it is natural that the rat should first be conquered, then subdued and employed by the being who represents spiritual strength. The rat was bound to recognize Ganesh as his superior, since his own cunning would tell him that Ganesh would prove a better guide than even his own perspicacity.