Resources for Approaching Lord Ganesha

November 8, 2025

We approached Ganesha (or perhaps Ganesha approached us) out of an interest in reclaiming one of the precolonial religions of the Philippines, the hereditary homeland of Loki’s (one of our shop owners) family. The religion that we will call Hinduism in this post was brought to the Philippines before the Spanish arrived, bringing with it deities like Bhairava and Ganesha, whose statues have been found in different areas of the country.

Ganesha is a deity worked with in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. As such, He’s more willing to work with those outside the Hindu faith than other deities may be, being accustomed to outside propitiation. This is part of why we happily share this information. Ganesha, as we know Him, simply wants to help, love, and be loved in return. He spreads joy wherever He goes. We hope that this information will bring His joy and love to those who have been seeking it.

Ganesha is a god of many attributes. He is the Lord of Wisdom, Knowledge, and the Arts. He is a loving protector who crashes through what would do harm. He is the Road Opener and Lord of Obstacles, removing roadblocks or creating them as needed to guide us down the best path. He is a joyful, loving deity with the best interest of humanity in his heart. He is the Lord of Categories, organizing the structure of the world to suit the highest good of all. He is without beginning and end, the source of all, and contains universes in his big, beautiful belly.

He is often the first called upon in any working or ritual to ensure smooth progress and an absence of obstacles. He is known to create obstacles for those who skip this step; this is part of why He is propitiated whenever there is a new beginning in life. This can include any new venture, a new job or business, relationship, or school undertaking. If you’re beginning something new, it may be worthwhile to give a little offering or prayer to Ganesha to remove obstacles. If you’ve been hitting roadblocks in your workings, beginning with calling upon Ganesha may also be helpful.

We offer this information, not because we are experts in this topic, but because we know we are not the only ones searching for this information. We do not claim to speak for the practitioners of Sanatana Dharma, Hinduism, or any related religions. What we do claim is that we love Ganesha dearly, as do many. We wanted to share our journey with this joyful god for any others who feel called to Him, but don’t know where to begin.

Rather than share our experiences with this loving god or about our own practice, we want to provide you the resources to learn from those who have worked with Him longer and know both Him and His practices better. As we often tell Him, we are fools, who don’t know the right way to worship Him—only that we love Him and want to be in His presence. This, we believe, is the safest way for those born outside a culture where His worship is inherent to approach. Come to Ganesha with an open, honest heart. Acknowledge how little you know alongside your desire to learn. Ask Him to bring you the resources to learn, if He is willing to have you. Accept the answer ‘no’ if it’s given, and you’re redirected to a different deity or path; fighting Ganesha’s ‘no’ will get you nowhere.

Now that you know how to approach humbly and with love in your heart, we want to share the resources we’ve learned on our journey with Ganesha. Below are these resources; we hope they will be helpful to you, and bring those called to Ganesha closer to Him.

How to Consecrate a New Ganesha Statue:

https://sbm.org.uk/?page_id=1100

Setting up a Home Altar:

https://www.himalayanacademy.com/media/books/the-home-shrine_ei/web/ch22.html

Ganesha Puja (worship ceremony):

https://www.himalayanacademy.com/books/home-puja/

Ganesha Chaturthi (holiday) Introduction:

https://shlokam.org/ganesha-chaturthi/

Sacred Texts:

Ganapathi Atharvashirsha

https://shlokam.org/ganapati-atharvashirsha/

Sankata Nashana Ganesha Stotram