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Ganapati is the principal object of worship of the Hindus. It is the principal cult deity but not of early origin. Scholars have opined that this elephant-headed and pot bellied god came to be regularly worshipped after the Gupta age. Ganapati means the 'leader of the Ganas (of Siva)'. He is the son of Lord Siva and Devi Parvati. He is the Vighanaharta (destroyer of obstacles) and Siddhidata (bestower of success). According to Agni Purana, Chapter 50, Vinayaka should be made as having the body of a man and the head of an elephant, and possessing a huge trunk and belly. He should be represented as having made an axe from one of his own tusks and holding the same in his right hand, while a sweet ball and a lotus flower should be placed in his two left hands. The Matsya Purana (Ch. 260) also describes the image of Ganesa with the trunk of an elephant. The Vianudharmottara, Chapter 71, depicts him as having the face of an elephant and four arms, a trident and a rosary in his right hands and in the left an axe and a vessel full of sweets (Modakas). He has a dropping belly and

218 stiff and big ears. He wears a tiger skin for his garments and a serpent as his sacred thread. His one foot should be on the foot stool and the other should be on the seat. Such seated images of Ganapati of the early and late medieval periods have been found all over India. In the earliest stage, the Ganesa figure was of a Yaksa type; and an elephant headed Yaksa is to be found in an Amaravati coping and also in the early art of Mathura. In the Gupta period he was represented both as a squalling human figure with elephant's head and also in a dancing pose.