In the game of cricket, having scored 99 runs, when a batsman stands poised on the threshold of that much coveted century, he experiences the moment that is best associated with Ganesha. Fear and uncertainty envelope him; between him and his achievement stand hurdles, both real and imaginary: a possible spin from the bowler can overwhelm him, his own anxiety can paralyze him, cheering fans can distract him. He needs divine intervention then. He needs to focus, get rid of all hurdles, perform, get the final run, and achieve what he so longs for. In other words, he needs to think of Ganapati. This book brings together 99 meditations to better understand the stories, symbols and rituals of that adorable elephantheaded Hindu god who removes hurdles and brings prosperity and peace. Known variously as Ganapati, Gajanana, Vinayaka or Pillayar, he can help all of us score a century in the game called life.

Anika has recently emigrated from India and is having a difficult time adjusting to life in a new country - not to mention life in a new school. Remembering the advice her grandmother gave her, she prays to Lord Ganesh, the Hindu elephant god. But Lord Ganesh is slow to respond and Anika takes to the internet to attract his attention. When her problems begin to resolve themselves, she can breathe a sigh of relief. But has Lord Ganesh truly been helping her, or has she been relying on her own inner wisdom all along? This is a sweet and witty story about staying true to one's beliefs and finding strength in unlikely places.

Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, is easily the most recognizable and loveable of Hindu deities. But pinpointing his various attributes is not quite so simple. He is at once the portly, merry, childlike god and the sage, complex philosopher. He is the presiding deity of material wealth and the lord of spirituality. He removes all impediments for his devotees but creates all manner of difficulties for the transgressors, man or god. And associated with every aspect of Ganesha-be it his extraordinary birth, his elephant head, his broken tusk, his vehicle (the mouse), his appetite, his anger-are scores of myths, each more colourful than the other. In this thoroughly researched and delightfully narrated book, Royina Grewal gives us the many stories of Ganesha, exploring their significance and how they reflect the times and the cultures during which they originated.

Ganesha revered in India as the remover of obstacles is first and foremost an obedient son. Standing guard at his mother's door, this son of Parvati refuses to let anyone through. Even Lord Shiva is denied entry! This confrontation between father and son has one beneficial outcome - the emergence of Ganesha, the elephant headed god of wisdom.

Ganesha is a large print book about Lord Ganesha, also known as 'Ganapati', who is proclaimed as one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu tradition.

The bold, bright colors of India leap off the page in this picture book retelling of how Ganesha helped write the epic Hindu poem, the Mahabharata. Ganesha is just like any other kid, except that he has the head of an elephant and rides around on a magical mouse. And he loves sweets, but when Ganesha insists on biting into a super jumbo jawbreaker laddoo, his tusk breaks off! With the help of the wise poet Vyasa, and his friend Mr. Mouse, Ganesha learns that what seems broken can be quite useful after all. With vibrant, graphic illustrations, expressive characters, and offbeat humor, this is a wonderfully inventive rendition of a classic tale. Praise for Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth “Pink elephants haven’t looked this good since Dumbo.” —The New York Times “Beautifully presented. . . . So sweet we almost want to pop it in our mouths.” —Entertainment Weekly “Stylish. . . . A fresh and comedic introduction to a Hindu legend, with a winning combination of both eye candy and actual candy.” —Publishers Weekly “Bright, elaborately detailed illustrations. . . . Grade-schoolers. . . . will enjoy the story’s turnarounds and focus on luscious sweets, and many will be ready for the classic Hindu myth.” —Booklist

Ganesha has an elephant s head, a pot belly and a rollicking sense of fun. Full of mischief, he fools around with gods and humans alike. He is also wise and shrewd, gentle and compassionate. These tales of Lord Ganesha include old mythological favourites, like the stories about his birth and how he got his elephant head. Alongside are little-known tales dug up from ancient texts how Ganesha created the tabla, how he stopped Ravana from becoming all-powerful, how he raced around the world without moving an inch, and how he swallowed Vishnu, Brahma and Lakshmi in one big gulp! Each illustrated tale is told with sparkling wit to match that of the boisterous god. "

The magical story of how Ganesh, the son of Shiva and Parvati, was brought back to life with the head of an elephant • The story of one of the most beloved characters in Indian lore, made accessible for Western children • Illustrated throughout with paintings from the classic Indian tradition Any Indian child can tell you how the beloved god Ganesh got his elephant’s head--now American children can know as well. For centuries Indian children have grown up hearing Ganesh’s story--how his mother, Parvati (an incarnation of the great mother goddess), created a small boy from sandalwood soap and commanded that he guard the palace against all intruders while she took her bath. How her husband, Shiva (the fearsome god of destruction), didn’t take kindly to being barred from his own home. How Shiva beheaded the boy during the cosmic war that followed, but then, when he realized that the balance of the entire universe was at stake, brought the boy back to life by grafting an elephant’s head onto his body and made him the people’s intercessor against the powers of destruction. Ganesh’s timeless story teaches children about the steadfast power of dedication to duty, the awe-inspiring power of a mother’s love for her child, and the gentle power of compassion, which holds the world together. Accompanied by rich, color illustrations prepared according to the traditional Hindu canon, How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head will transport children to a magical world filled with ancient wisdom.

The divine player attempts to analyze the relationship between play and religion in the context of Hinduism. It focuses primarily on the youthful god Krsna. The first part part of the book surveys the role of play among the gods and concludes that play seems to be an intrinsic part of the divine in Hinduism. The second part of the book investigates the role of play in religious cult, again focusing on the various Krsna cults. This section concludes that, although playful themes pervade man`s religious activity in devotion to Krsna, cultiic activity may not be reduced to play, as some scholars have suggested. The final section of the book points to examples of divine and cultic play in non-Hindu traditions.