Shree Ganesh is welcomed into our home and our lives during Ganeshotsav. Yet the truth of all material things, for that matter even living beings, is that everything that has a beginning does have an end too. Thus the Ganesh statues are brought into the water element either in one and a half, three, five, seven or tenth day. The water element is vital for life and it connects the whole planet together. The surface of the earth is covered with about 70% water, so water connects all the landmasses of continents together. Similarly, in the human body, more than 50% of the body consists of water element. To truly deal with the water element in us, eventually, one must develop the understanding that each individual is only a part of the whole flow of the universe. One receives whatever one deserves. There is no need to compare with others. We need to attract greater and greater life force as we grow on this journey. That is why we discussed the water element first although the base or foundation begins with the earth element. The point where both meet is where life expression begins. 

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Shree Ganesh is worshipped in India in many ways. He is a ‘family deity’ to some. He is remembered at the start or beginning of everything. He is worshipped in the morning, at the beginning of the day or any important activity in life. He is worshipped for success, for granting our desires and for auspiciousness. We see that he is worshipped in many other places outside India like Thailand and Bali. 

The first chakra of the body is called Mooladhara that has control of the earth element. It is at the base of the spine. Moola is beginning or source. Mooladhar can be understood as ‘support for the beginning’. Imagine it is like a ‘chip’ in a computer that controls the elements with embedded energy that can activate all the other centres of the body. Shree Ganesh is the deity of this chakra. The earth element has stability, toughness and potent energy.

These are the bases of existence and fundamental to health. The balance of the earth element is achieved through the blessings of Shree Ganesh. 

As we have discussed earlier, the gods are at many levels, and at our material plane, Ganesh is in the earth element. Even the statue that we make of Him should be from natural earth, painted with natural colours, so that when He is offered to the water He dissipates completely, causing no harm to the environment.

The statue is normally brought home on tritiya (the third moon phase the month of bhadrapad) and worship begins on chaturthi (fourth phase). For worship, we need to invite into the statue the principle of the Omnipresent Ganesh. We perform a ritual called praan avahan, where we invite life force to the statue. This life force will not mean that Ganesh can move or act or eat, but it is a wave or vibration, which can be felt by those who are more attuned to it. Shree Ganesh in the statue can understand and communicate. We need His energy for our life’s work. This energy is not something that gets over when released. It is a perpetual energy like a stream from the mountains and we follow the celebrations to be recharged and continue receiving it properly for the next cycle or year.

Thus, the prayers, mantras and the culture invited into Shree Ganesh is dissipated evenly through water into the entire planet. Since Shree Ganesh is enlivened in the statue He will be expressed. The personality or potential of the earth is expressed when it meets the water or life force, inside and outside our bodies. The rituals for the duration of the Ganesh festival are important for the balance of the first two chakras.

The energy that travels from the base chakra all the way to the top of the crown chakra as we evolve is called Kundalini. It is in a spiral form, winding and unwinding, like a spring, which is symbolised as a snake (sarpa). Her potential is charged at the Ganesh or Mooladhara Chakra. 

In the Shrimad Bhagawad Geeta Shree Krishna says anantaas chaasmi naagaanaam Ch12 verse29

“Among snakes I am Ananta.”

Ananta Sarpa refers to continuity and infinity. We are a continuity since the beginning of brahmaand, through our ancestors. It is that Supreme Consciousness who is continuous in us, programmed in the form of Kundalini to provide energy for physical, psychological and intellectual activities. To improve all activities we also need to remove all blocks stopping us from our past, especially from our ancestors, so the energy can continue evolving in us going further. 

On the day of Ananta Chaturdashi, to ensure we can develop further, we begin the process of removing the blocks from the past, and worshipping, remembering and satisfying the needs of our ancestors. After Ananta Chaturdashi begins the 15 day period of Pitrupaksha. This period in the year is critical for the next few weeks of rituals and festivities and is related to our DNA and RNA, environment, how information is embedded in the human being, how we can truly improve ourselves and our lives by removing ancestral/Karmic blocks.

The author is founder of Atmasantulana Village, a world-renowned holistic healing centre. ayurveda@dnaindia.net