1844.] 



Account of Mamallaipur. 



15 



and a niche, the latter containing an image of Ganesa, which 

 blackened by smoke and ghee, is still an object of adoration 

 to the people of the village. Their brahmans, I was told, 

 propitiate the stone deity every Friday with lustrations of 

 ghee and cocoa-nut oil, and certain rites and prayers. The 

 inner wall of the verandah, south of the niche bears an in- 

 scription in the same kind of character as that hereafter no- 

 ticed. According to Dr. Babington, (Transactions Royal 

 Asiatic Society vol. 2, p.p. 265-6 and plate 14), this inscrip- 

 tion consists of verses in praise of Siva.* I have stated that 

 this temple contains an image of Ganesa, and as this is the 

 second time that Ganesa has been mentioned, it may be right 

 to state, who and what he is. 



Colonel Moor, in his Hindu Pantheon, says — that Ganesa 

 is the God of prudence and policy, and the reputed' eldest 

 son of Siva or Mahadeva and Parvati. He is represented 

 with an elephant's head ; generally 'with fou<r hands, but 

 sometimes with only two, and sometimes with six or eight. 

 He is said to be propitiated by Hindus of all sects in the 

 outset of any business : if a house is to be built, a book writ- 

 ten, or a journey commenced, Ganesa is invoked. 



It is very common for Hindu authors to give different 

 versions of the same tale, and there are different accounts of 

 the manner and cause of Ganesa's possession of an elephant's 

 head. One relates that Vishnu and Ganesa fought, and that 

 Ganesa would have been triumphant, but that Siva (his 

 father !) cut off his head : whereat his mother Parvati, being 

 very much distressed and offended, proceeded to revenge 

 the act by performing such austerities as, had they con- 

 tinued, would have deranged the destinies of the uni- 

 verse. This alarmed the whole congregation of the Gods, 

 who intreated Siva to restore Ganesa to life. He con- 



* See Dr. Babington's translation of this inscription in the introductory notes. M. 



