Let’s Understand the Symbolic Meaning of a Ganesh Murti

Posted by vivek choudhary on January 21st, 2020

Lord Ganesha is the most beloved deities of Hindu culture. He is the first one to be worshipped during festivals and special occasions. His might is well known around the globe, and he has thousands of followers and worshippers all across the world. Lord Ganesha can be worshipped in several ways. The most common way we understand is to have Brass Ganpati Idols at home in your everyday shrine. 

There are several facets to a Ganesh Murti. All minute details have several connotations to it. From the large head to the small mouth, all have descriptive and significant meanings to them, and we can learn a lot about God by learning the symbolic meaning of Ganesha. 

The Birth of Ganesha

Ganesha was born to Parvati, who was lonely when Lord Shiva was away and decided to have a son who could keep her company. She rubbed sandalwood and turmeric on to her flesh, and with it, she made a boy. She brought him to life and asked him to guard the door while she had a bath. Just then, Lord Shiva arrived and was barred from entering his own home. Furious, Shiva cut the boy’s head off, and upon Parvati’s insistence set out to find a new head for the boy. Alas, he could only find an elephant. Hence Ganpati has an elephant head. 

GaneshaMurti

When Ganesha was brought back to life with an elephant head, Parvati claimed that he would be the first God to be worshipped no matter the situation. Hence, in all our practices, Ganesha is worshipped first. Several nuances to a Brass GaneshjiMurti are as follows- 

• The Elephant Head – Elephants are one of the most intelligent creatures in the jungle. They’re also mighty and powerful. Hence, the elephant god symbolizes strength and power. 
• The Large Ears – Large ears of Ganesha signify the importance of listening with an open mind. 
• Small Eyes- The little eyes are symbolic of concentration and focus, the two most essential things in the pursuit of success. 
• Big Stomach – The big stomach of Lord Ganesha describes his ability to digest the good and bad aspects of life. 
• The Broken Tusk – The broken tusk represents the need to retain the good in life and throw away the bad. 

These are some of the symbolic meanings of the Ganesh murti. Several other interpretations of it have evolved through times. While placing a Brass Ganesha Idol at home, make sure you put it in the northeastern corner of your home, as that is known as the Ishan corner, and is the right spot for a Pooja Ghar. Nowadays, you can find many brass idols online; for Ganeshji idols,