Lord Ganesh is pan-Asia favourite

Bhagyashree Kulthe, DNA  

Ganesh, the god of wisdom, is a pan-Asia favourite. He appears on everything from currency notes, temples and artefact shops in South-East and Far-East Asia. However, can you imagine Lord Ganesh without a big tummy?

Thailand‘s Ganesh idols and images are slender, compared to the Indian Ganesh, while the Japanese actually worship a twin Ganesh. Though Ganesh is worshipped by Indians settled abroad, the deity is adored and worshipped in many countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and even Bali. 

Ganesh is worshipped in most south-east Asian countries. The Indonesian currency note carries the picture of Ganesh.

Even though it is an Islamic republic, they consider Ganesh as the ‘god of success.’ Also, statues of Ganesh from 8th to 11th centuries have been found in Indonesia. 

According to information available on various websites, Ganesh is called Kangiten and Ganabachi in Japan. Even in Afghanistan there were many carvings and scriptures on Ganesh, which were later destroyed. 

In Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam he is considered the ‘destructor of obstacles’. Ganesh has been a major deity in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam and their iconography are slightly different from the pot-bellied Indian Ganesh. They also have shrines where Ganesh is worshipped.

Nepal, Sri Lanka, the islands of Java and Sumatra have close Hindu connections, as per Hindu mythology. In Malaysia, Thailand and Tibet the deity’s presence is attributed to Buddhism, as Ganesh is considered God Vinayak in that religion. 

To some other countries the deity probably reached through traders who travelled from India. International Collectors Society (ICS) president, SR Bhat, who has a collection of several Ganesh idols and images from Cambodia, Japan, Thailand, Nepal and Bali told DNA, “Islands of Java, Sumatra, Bali and countries like Sri Lanka were a part of ancient India. Its mention is found in Indian mythology and epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. So, it is not surprising that Ganesh is worshipped there,” said Bhat. 

Bhat got an idol from Thailand which depicted a lean Ganesh. When Bhat asked the Thai shopkeeper about it he replied, “Ganesh goes to see God Shiva to Kailash (the Himalayan mountain ranges, abode of Shiva and Parvati) everyday. How can he be plump?” Ganesh is supposed to be destroyer of evil, the one who removes obstacles (Vignaharta) even in countries other than India, said Bhat. “They therefore worship him more religiously for success of any work,” he added.

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