Ganesha (: ; Gaea; (·)), also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, Pillaiyar. Ganesha is one of the best-known and most worshipped in the . His image is found throughout . Hindu sects worship him regardless of other affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends .Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles (Vighnesha, Vighneshvara), patron of arts and sciences, and the of intellect and wisdom. He is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters during writing sessions. Several texts relate associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in clearly recognizable form in the 4th and 5th centuries , during the , although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. H
stone statues