Why is Ganesha called Vakratunda?

Why is Ganesha called Vakratunda?

Ganesha’s first incarnation was as Vakratunda meaning curved trunk. According to the legend, Lord Indra’s pramaada (heedlessness) gave birth to the demon Matsarasura. Matsara means jealousy and selfishness. After severe penance, Matsarasura received the boon of fearlessness from Shiva.

Who is Ganesh Ji?

Ganesha, also spelled Ganesh, also called Ganapati, elephant-headed Hindu god of beginnings, who is traditionally worshipped before any major enterprise and is the patron of intellectuals, bankers, scribes, and authors. Like a rat and like an elephant, Ganesha is a remover of obstacles.

Why is Ganesha the remover of obstacles?

Ganesha is one of the most distinctive Hindu deities with his large elephant head and pot-bellied human body. He plays a dual role of a supreme being powerful enough to remove obstacles and ensure success or create obstructions for those whose ambition has become destructive.

Who is the father of Ganesh ji?

Like all gods in the Hindu pantheon, Ganesh has a mythological origin. He is the son of Shiva and his consort Parvati, both of human form and yet he bears the head of an elephant.

What is the Indian elephant god called?

Ganesha
Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles and the offspring of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and his consort the goddess Parvathi. Several myths detail his birth and acquisition of the elephant head.

Why is the Indian elephant on the IUCN Red List?

Indian elephant. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List as the wild population has declined by at least 50% since the 1940s to 1930s, i.e. three elephant generations. The Asian elephant is threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.

Where does the Indian elephant live in the world?

The Indian elephant is native to mainland Asia: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Laos, China, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is regionally extinct in Pakistan . [1] It inhabits grasslands, dry deciduous , moist deciduous, evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.

What kind of plants do elephants eat in India?

In a study area of 1,130 km 2 (440 sq mi) in southern India, elephants were recorded to feed on 112 different plant species, most commonly of the order Malvales, and the legume, palm, sedge and true grass families. They graze on the tall grasses, but the portion consumed varies with season.

Which is larger an African elephant or an Indian elephant?

Unlike their African cousins, their abdomen is proportionate with their body weight but the African elephant has a large abdomen as compared to the skulls. The Indian elephant is native to mainland Asia: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Laos, China, Cambodia, and Vietnam.