Ganesha means the king of “ganas” or earth-based deities. He is also called Vighneshwara, which means the remover of obstacles. Lord Ganesha is known as the lord of the earth, just like Lord Vishnu rules over Vaikuntha (his heavenly home), and Lord Shiva lives on Mount Kailash.
A story says that Goddess Parvati created Ganesha from the dirt she rubbed off her body before taking a bath. This shows Ganesha’s deep connection to the earth element. That’s why, in some rituals, priests use a lump of earth instead of his idol.
It is widely believed that no work is successful without Lord Ganesha’s blessings. That’s why people worship him before starting anything new.
Another reason to pray to Ganesha first is because he converts human thoughts, which are expressed in sound (naad-bhasha), into the language of light (prakash-bhasha), which the gods understand. He acts as a bridge between humans and the Divine.
As the ruler of the earth, Ganesha also watches over the ten directions. No divine energy can come to earth without his permission. So, people call upon him to welcome blessings from higher realms.
After 10 days of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, when his idol is immersed in water, it is believed that he takes away all the troubles of his devotees.
Ganesha has two wives—Riddhi (prosperity) and Siddhi (success), and two sons—Shubha (goodness) and Labha (gain). People write the names of his sons on their account books and money boxes to invite good fortune.
ASTRO GIVA 