Ganesha, the elephant head God is one of the most popular and foremost worshipped forms of divinity – as a remover of obstacles and the embodiment of good luck, in the Indian system of beliefs and practices. Ganesha is regarded as the son of Shiva and Parvati (Shakti), the universal parents.
This August, the God of knowledge and the remover of obstacles (Vignaharta) is back! It is carnival time as the entire country is gearing up to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in full gusto. This year, SaharaOne Television too is getting ready to rejoice and welcome Lord Ganesha by launching a special show ‘Ganesh Leela’, that depicts the life of Lord Ganesha. The show will premiere, August 17th, Every Monday – Friday at 8.30 p.m.
‘Ganesh Leela’ is a special feature on Lord Ganesha’s life from his birth. Legend has it that Lord Shiva’s wife Parvati’s craves for a child, Shiva suggests her to do a year long ‘Punyak Vrat’. Parvati starts her penance with the help of a purohita called ‘Sanatkumar’.
After the successful completion of her Vrata-anushthan, God Paratpar (a form of divine light) appears and gives her a boon that he himself will appear on earth as her son. Later Parvati, creates a beautiful boy from the ‘ubtan’ (a form of cosmic energy) of her body, treats him as her son, and gives him the responsibility of guarding her home. Its astonishing to know later how this boy gets in to an fight with Lord Shiva and subsequently ends up with an elephant head fitted to his body.
Mushtaq Shaikh, Creative Director, SaharaOne Television, says “Lord Ganesh is the most favourite of our gods and his stories are revered by all. Ganesha commands respect, never demands it. Yet, there’s more to Lord Ganesha’s tale than what meets our mind.
A Ganesh idol is an indispensable element of every home and the god that appeals most to every devotee – from kids to grown-ups, the God, who plays a big part in lending a helping hand to all human endeavors and facilitates us in all beginnings. We at SaharaOne are extremely proud, bringing this benevolent god in to your living rooms – telling fascinating stories, unheard off trivia and mystifying tales related to Lord Ganesha.
The numerous ancient puranas spells Ganesha’s head as the symbol of the Atman [soul] – the ultimate, or the supreme, reality of human existence. His human body signifies maya, or illusion – the earthly existence of human beings. The Elephant Head signifies wisdom, and the trunk epitomizes Om – the sound emblem of cosmic reality. Ganesha also holds a Goad, in his upper right hand, which helps him to thrust mankind forward on the eternal path, and eliminate impediments on the way.
Strap in his left hand is a gentle tool to arrest
all difficulties. The Rosary suggests that the quest for knowledge should be constant. The Sweets he holds in his trunk indicate that one must discover the everlasting sweetness of the eternal Atman.
Also, Ganesha’s Fan-Like Ears convey that he is all ears to our pleas. The Snake “encapsulating” his waist represents energy in all forms, albeit Ganesha is himself modest enough to navigate the world astride the humble mouse.
As the story progresses, viewers will also get to know how Lord Ganesha developed his lovely paunch and his immense love for sweets, especially the modaks, how his mother Parvati sought from her husband, lord Shiva that this boy now fitted with the head of an elephant, should be regarded by one and all and across the three worlds, as the remover of obstacles, and should be offered worship first, before any form of worship was offered to any other manifestation of divinity. This boon granted, Ganesha, came to be regarded as Vighneshwara or Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles. GANESHLEELA is a production of Dheeraj Kumar’s Creative Eye.
