An Aesthete's Diary

  Simha Ganapati is regarded as the 29th among the 32 different forms of Ganapati . Simha Ganapati is a rather peaceful and refined form of Ganesh. In this remarkable form Ganesha’s face has merged with that of a lion. His huge bulging eyes, ears and sharp fangs are all depicted in the Indian tradition of the mood of that ferocious beast. He is fair-complexioned and unique, having eight hands, and holding the stringed instrument Veenai, a sprig of the wish-fulfilling divine tree Kalpa Vriksha, a blossoming lotus, a bouquet of flowers, a pot of jewels known as Rathna Kumbha and a discus in six of them. While he is holding the boon-granting Varada mudra in his main right hand, his principal left hand sports Abhaya mudra, offering protection to the devotees. Simha Ganapati is a potent aspect of the Lord, and is believed to provide the devotees with good strength to fight negative forces and evil, offer protection to them against all hazards and inimical elements, bestow them with ...

Adhyantha Prabhu, a composite deity of Lord Ganesha and Lord Hanuman is depicted as a single form with one half representing Ganesha and the other half representing Hanuman, symbolizing the beginning and end of life's journey .  Adhi means beginning, and Antha means end. Ganesh, the son of Shiva and Parvathi is worshipped as the God of beginnings, and Sri Hanuman, an avatar of Rudra is said to be chiranjeevi (immortal). The deity's form, signifies the complete cycle of life, from its inception to its conclusion.   The amalgamation of these two powerful deities is believed to be particularly potent, as they are said to be unaffected by the adverse effects of the Navagrahas.   Devotees seek the blessings of Adhyantha Prabhu to mitigate the negative influences of the planets and to ensure a successful beginning and a strong ending to their endeavours.   The shrine of Adhyantha Prabhu is located in the Madhya Kailash Temple in Chennai.