Ganesh

**Ganesh** is the Hindu God of Success and Wisdom.

## **Background**

Ganesh is one of the best-known and most worshiped gods in the Hindu pantheon, Hindu denominations worship him regardless of affiliations. Ganesh is worshiped on many religious and secular occasions, especially at the beginning of ventures such as buying a vehicle or starting a business. Devotees believe that if Ganesh is propitiated, he grants success, prosperity and protection against adversity.

Ganesh's family history has been disputed and speculated, Ganesh is popularly held to be the son of Shiva and Parvati. The family includes his brother, the god of war, Kartikeya, with regional differences dictate the order of their births. In northern India, Kartikeya is generally said to be the elder, while in the south, Ganesh is considered the firstborn.

In Hindu temples, Ganesh is depicted in various ways: as a subordinate god; as a god related to the principal god; or as the principal god of the temple. He is placed at the doorway of many Hindu temples to keep out the unworthy, which is analogous to his role as Parvati's doorkeeper.

## **Personality**

Ganesh is a very peaceful god. He always tried to avoid fights and stopped anyone he could by advocating the mode of peace and universal love to them. Ganesh is very fond of food and loves to eat "modaks", round Indian sweets. He is a very lovable god, adults and children alike adore him.

## **Appearance**

Ganesh's true form resembles a potbellied pink-skinned humanoid male with the head of an Indian elephant, with multiple pairs of arms and hands.

## **Known Powers and Abilities**

Ganesh is an incredibly powerful god, he is known as The Remover of Obstacles and Lord of Wisdom.

* **Super Strength** - Ganesh is extremely powerful, his strength is far superior to humans, monsters, Demons, Ghosts, and other supernatural beings. However the full extent of his physical strength is never stated in lore as he prefers to stay out of conflict.
* **Super Stamina**- Like all gods, Ganesh possesses unlimited stamina and doesn't require sleep or food to sustain himself, however he does have a sweet-tooth and regulary eats modaks.
* **Super Speed** - Since his true form he has the head of an elephant, he possesses incredible speed, and can move to one place to another in mere moments, kind of like an elephant.
* **Super Senses**- Like an elephant, Ganesh as extraordinary senses of smell, hearing, and sight. He can detect sounds from miles away and can hear infrasonic sounds from miles away.
* **Immortality**- Ganesh is thousands of years old and is unaffected by aging and disease.
* **Nigh Invulnerability** - Being a god, Ganesh is invulnerable to all forms of death, and cannot die under any circumstance.
* **Nigh Indestructibility** - Like other gods, Ganesh cannot be destroyed by any earthly weapon, however divine weapons can cause significant damage to him.
* **Regeneration**- If he sustains an injury, he can quickly heal his wounds in a short period of time.
* **Reality Warping**- His most famous ability is to remove or place obstacles in a person's life to see if they can overcome and achieve their goals. Once a person passes his test he will bestow success, prosperity, and protection upon them.
* **Conjuration**- Ganesh can also conjure up physical obstacles at will and can dispose of them just as quickly.
* **Shapeshifting**- Ganesh can shapeshift completely into an elephant and back to his elephant-headed form.
* **Telekinesis**- As The Remover of Obstacles, Ganesh can telekinetically move objects out of the way with his mind and place objects as barriers.
* **Teleportation**- Ganesh can teleport anywhere he wishes in existence, including other universes.
* **Power Negation**- Once he blesses a person who has overcome his trials, he will bestow protection upon them, which implies negating the powers of evil supernatural beings. This is stated to be his belly which digests all the evil in the world.
* **Astral Perception**- He is able to perceive objects and beings that are invisible, such as Demons.

## **Weaknesses**

* **Other Deities** - Older, and more powerful gods are able to harm him, as he was incapacitated after his father Shiva had accidentally decapitated him.
* **Divine Weaponry** - Shiva was able to decapitate him with one of his weapons.