Ganesha, also spelled Ganesa and Ganesh, also known as Pillaiyar, Ganapati and Vinayaka, is one of the best-known and most widely worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India. Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha’s elephant head makes him particularly easy to identify.
