Worshipping Shri Ganesh with prayer and knowledge is auspicious. Shri Vakratund mahakay suryakoti samprabha, nirvghney kuru mey deva sarvakaryeshu sarvada – with a rounded trunk, gigantic figure which is illuminated by a thousand suns, may all my tasks be accomplished without any problems. In the Indic tradition, any task, be it a new business or a holy ceremony, starts with the worship and igniting of Lord Ganesha. This puja is performed like a ritual. The underlying meaning associated with this practice is very profound. It is, therefore, essential for us to understand this, so that we can explain it to others, especially the younger generation, as it would make them realise and comprehend our culture and its Vedic wisdom in its true perspective. Only when a puja or ritual is performed keeping in mind the philosophy and understanding the hidden messages concealed in the forms of the various deities, devi-devtas,…