This article is written by Dr. A V Srinivasan on the auspicious occasion of Ganapati festival. Ganapati or Ganesha is the remover obstacles in Hinduism and everything begins after offering prayers to him. There isn’t a Hindu who does not recognize instantly the most revered God Mahaaganapati. Irrespective of the region of India, irrespective of one’s special affiliation to any aspect of Hindu religion, Hindus offer their first prayer by invoking and worshipping Mahaaganapati, the Lord of obstacles, before any auspicious tasks are undertaken. Even westerners who have little exposure to Hinduism know the “elephant-headed” God. It is a common Hindu belief that the first prayers must be offered to Mahaaganapati seeking His blessings to proceed so that the rest of the mission may proceed smoothly and without incident. For example, most concerts of Indian classical music begin with a composition in praise of Mahaaganapati. Lord Ganapati occupies a very special place in the hearts of Hind