Entry 6 - The God of Small Things

The God of Small Things

In fundamentalist Christianity, theologians ponder the grand things of the cosmos; the grand things are resistance to scientific explorations of big bang origins and evolution of carbon-based life-forms culminating in humanity ,and end of the world scenarios, including the Battle of Armageddon and whether a rapture will take place before or after the Tribulation.  But ultimately, fundamentalist Christianity tends to focus on the small things, making Christianity out to be a moral code that is concerned above all else with sex and sexuality.

By contrast, the fascination with the Hindu deity Ganesh (or Ganesha) is a study in a deity who is adored and venerated because of his interest in the small things that are essential parts of life; Ganesh is the deity who appeals to the people because he has his feet on the ground, so to speak, and is involved in the everyday and ordinary things of people’s lives.  Ganesh is not a deity from whom people seek high mystical and spiritual experiences, but one who is ordinary and appeals to the everyday.  This much is apparent in a simple excursion almost anywhere; Ganesh, in one form or another, adorns the dashboard of taxis, vans, and even city buses; his emblem appears in autorickshaws, on motorcyles, and in stores; he visage is not only carved into temples, but is present in ordinary and everyday places: in shops, beside the road, at intersections.

I have previously mentioned the dominance of the image of Ganesh (or Ganesha) in my limited experience of India so far; perhaps it is time to consider this figure a little more fully. My first encounter with Ganesh was shortly after arriving in Bangalore; we were greeted by our drivers, who stowed luggage in one van and us in another.  I noticed that each van had a small figure adhered to the dashboard, as the vans we have subsequently taken on field trips.  Sometimes it is just the figure, and sometimes it is a small clear case that contains a figure; often garlanded with flowers, real or artificial, the figure is always that of Ganesh, the roly-poly man with the elephant head. 

Then I started noticing the appearance of Ganesh everywhere, and who could miss noticing a man with a rotund belly, an elephant head, often with four arms instead of two, and sometimes with a snake wrapped around his waist – these are the usual forms or appearances of Ganesh, in picture or moulded plastic, carved in wood or sometimes stone.  I have seen Ganesh , usually as a colour picture or icon, beside the driver on the city buses.  I have seen Ganesh faces and pictures at entrances to stores and businesses.  Ganesh appears at intersections in roadways, and at entrances to homes and apartment buildings, and at the edge of a town or village.  There will always be a Ganesh at a temple, perhaps an image or two or several dozen, and often carved into the entryway, as into the gopura, the pyramid-like tower that rises above the entrance to the temple.  Ganesh appears on trucks carrying gravel and garbage, and sometimes, on opening a book, Ganesh appears just inside the front cover, looking out ever so mischievously, his elephant head, as always, having one whole tusk and one broken tusk.

Ganesh, I have discovered, is one of the most popular and widely adored deities of Hinduism.  This definitely seems to be the case in and around Mysore, where pictures, images, figures and statues abound.  He is usually depicted in a standing position, sometimes dancing, and occasionally he is seated; he is always depicted looking directly forwards, and always with one broken tusk, which may suggest his humanity, his reality, the cutting away of the illusion of perfection.  In this, he is able to be identified more fully with the imperfect devotees who see an image of themselves in this peculiar god.

The myths of Ganesh are many, but most point to him being a creation of Parvati, the wife of Shiva, made in the image of man to stand guard while she bathed.  When Shiva came to his wife’s bathing house, he was refused entry by Ganesh; Shiva then struck him with his sword, cutting off his head.  Learning only then of his origins, he commissioned his servants to find a new head for him, and they brought back the first head they found, that of an elephant.  Shiva gave it to him, and thus he became Ganesh, the son of Shiva, but forever with the head of an elephant.

The god of all good enterprises, Ganesh is the recipient of offerings made by those who seek to undertake a journey, either real or metaphorical.  Offerings may be made before the statue of Ganesh before setting off on distant travels or just a short trip, and before opening a new business or entering into negotiations for a wedding.  He represents, among other things, the unity of humanity, as individuals, and the universe.  The god of practical wisdom, practical matters, it is Ganesh who brings success and assures worldly well-being.  He has his feet firmly planted on the ground; not a deity for those who seek high and grand mystical and spiritual experiences,  Ganesh is one who is ordinary (as much as one can be ordinary with the head of an elephant), and who appeals to the everyday.  He is, in a sense, the god of everyday life.

Ganesh has emerged in Hinduism as the lord of barriers and obstacles; he places barriers in the way, and he is also the one who removes obstacles from the path of gods, demons, and humans.  This would explain the need for a Ganesh in every vehicle, as driving in India is like a real version of Super Mario Kart racing, and there is a constant need for the obstacles of people, cows, buses, construction work, motorcycles, tractors and more to be swept away, giving a free and open driving experience.  Unfortunately, everyone has Ganesh in their vehicles!

Each time we leave on an excursion, and make it safely back to the hostel, now I feel I owe Ganesh a debt of gratitude, for protecting, guiding, removing obstacles, for being a reminder of the presence of the divine in the ordinary things we take for granted.  And yes, I bought a little image of Ganesh to bring home, to remind me of the presence of the divine in the everyday, to remember that the divine is not just concerned with cosmic plans or great moral codes, but is also the god of small things.