Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati

Ganesha is the most popular of the Gods, if not the most powerful.

The story is that whilst Shiva was off doing god like things, Parvati made herself a son, Ganesha, from clay and breathed life into him. She went to bathe and set Ganesha to guard the door for her. Shiva turned up and went to enter. "Oh no you don't" says Ganesha, not knowing who Shiva was. "Oh yes I do, insolent youth!" says Shiva, not knowing who Ganesha was, and not unreasonably for a god, lops his head off and strides in.

After receiving an ear-full from Parvati, which probably raises the Himalayas,  he storms out shouting "All right, I'm sorry!" and sends servants off to bring him the head of the first animal they find sleeping with its head to the north (the direction of the Himalayas.) Its an elephant. Shiva sticks the head on and breathes life back into the boy. As atonement he decrees that all prayers shall initially be directed through Ganesha, who becomes the remover of all obstacles. Temples are dedicated to all sorts of gods, including Ganesha, but he should be present in every temple, to the right of the entrance, and is the first god approached by a worshipper.

Ganesha is fat and jolly. He usually holds a bag of sweets in one hand (he has several, up to ten). In some statues he has a mobile phone! He filled himself so full of sweets he burst and his stomach is usually tied closed with a cobra. He should be depicted with one tusk missing, because he broke it off to write down the great Hindu epic  Mahabharata, which was dictated to him by the sage Vyasa.

There are statues and images of him everywhere, including advertising billboards and in the back of just about every shop, Hindu ones anyway. I particularly like the neon tube one, which is on a temple just around the corner from here.

The wooden one is a bit of a cheat as it is my own statue at home which I bought six years ago as my first piece of Indian art. My sister covets it, (but you can't have it Di!) It is the only version I have seen with both tusks. Whether this was a mistake or done deliberately because this was carved for the tourist market and not devotion, I don't know.

Another for my collection. When Rani in Mahabalipuram wrapped my statue of Durga, he reached round to a shelf and said to "Please have this dancing Ganesha as a present."  He is only 2½" high in red marble and is delightful. I shall add him to the collection in my boat for good fortune.