Is God Ganesha a god of Hinduism in India only?

Lord Ganesha bronze contemporary statue from Indonesia. Photo credit: Kashgar. Ganesh is one of the best known and loved deities in the Hindu pantheon of gods, and indeed is the most recognised outside of India. But who is this elephant headed fellow, and why is he so popular? read more

Unlike some other Hindu gods and goddesses, Ganesha is nonsectarian. Worshippers, called Ganapatyas, can be found in all sects of the faith. As the god of beginnings, Ganesha is celebrated at events big and small. The biggest of them is the 10-day festival called Ganesh Chaturthi, which typically takes place each August or September. read more

Hindu mythology identifies him as the restored son of Parvati and Shiva of the Shaivism tradition, but he is a pan-Hindu god found in its various traditions. In the Ganapatya tradition of Hinduism, Ganesha is the supreme deity. read more

Ganesha is the right term and Ganesh is a short form used to name a first born boy in the family of Hindus. Hence we can use both. It also depends as to the region - if southern it is Ganesha whereas in some parts of Central India it is Ganesh - in Hindi the consonants are short as against Sanskrit where the last consonant “sh” is “sha”. read more