It’s Lord Ganesh’s festival and everyone is busy with his worship. Each year, for 10 days, we bring our beloved Lord Ganesha home and he becomes a part of our household. We share all our joys and sorrows with him and he too gives us loads of love in return. The 10 days of Ganpati Festival are some of the most beautiful and colorful days in India.

There are several layers of intricate meaning behind each part of Lord Ganesha.

Ganesha is one of the most famous and greatly worshiped deities in Hinduism. The main identity of Ganesha is his elephant like head. Lord Ganesha is invoked as Vighneswara at the launch of an event or business by a majority of the Hindus as he is believed to be the obstacle remover.

Lord Ganesha is also considered as the God of auspicious beginnings and bestower of fortune in abundance. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Hindu Goddess Parvati. Ganesha is known by many names and has many different forms. The Ganesha Purana describes the 32 forms of Lord Ganesha and among them, Mahaganapathi is widely worshiped. The first 16 forms of Ganesha are known by the name “Shodasa Ganapati” and the later ones are known as “Ekavimsathi”.

But then while there are a lot of things we know about Lord Ganesha, there’re some things that always confuse us. Like the trunk on Lord Ganesha. Why is it sometimes on the right of the Lord, sometimes curved to the left and sometimes straight? Does it depend on the whims and fancies of the maker? Or is there some deep significance behind it? Also, there are very few right curved trunks, as most of the trunks we see are left curved. So if it doesn’t matter which side the trunk curves, why is there such a differentiation? Why not set a standard?

Well, the reason is not so simple. The trunk of Lord Ganesha is symbolic of a lot many things and the side it is curved to is symbolic of what the idol of Lord Ganesha signifies and the way it is to be worshiped.

Different Forms of Lord Ganesha

Lord Ganesha trunk on the left side – For householders, it is strongly advisable to keep left sided Ganesha statue at home. Left sided Ganesha statue are believed to be representing Ida Nadi which is more cooling side or you can relate it to the moon. It is more feminine, cooling, nourishing and relaxing energy.

Left trunk Ganeshas are also believed the purify a home and help in healing the Vaastu Dosha that might be present. Also, if you see a picture of Lord Ganesha with Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, it is seen that Parvati sits to the left. So, the left-sided trunk pays an obeisance to Goddess Parvati and invokes her blessings in the home. It brings about family bonding and happiness.

– The symbolism of Lord Ganesha Statue.

2. Lord Ganesha trunk on the right side –  The right trunk is not very common and almost rare. This is normally the case with Ganesha statues in temples. The Ganesha statue with trunk on the right side is called as ‘Siddhi Vinayaka‘ because if worshiped correctly then it can give quick results or siddhis. If you happen to visit Mumbai then do visit the famous Siddhi Vinayak temple. It is known for fulfilling the wishes of those people who pray with sincerity and intense devotion.

It is not for housekeepers as people with families have duties and cannot let go of pleasures. Thus, the right-sided idols are found only in temples. The right sided idol also signifies the Pingala Nadi or the energy of the sun. Just like the sun can create as well as destroy, this Ganpati can bring you happiness if worshiped the correct way or destruction if uncared for. The Valampuri Ganesha must be cared for according to Vedic customs and rituals.

3. Lord Ganesha trunk is facing straight forward –

This is the rarest of the lot and hardly ever found. But it also has the deepest significance. It means that the Sushuma Nadi is now open and that there is complete oneness between all the body senses and the divinity is complete. You are completely unburdened and are completely transparent.

This type of Ganpati needs to be worshiped too though the worship is not as rigid the Right Trunk Ganesha and can be worshiped normally. These type of Ganeshas make great gifts although they are extremely rare to find.