Amongst Hindus, the god Ganesh is invoked before every undertaking. He is a chubby, smiling, elephant-headed deity who was the first son of Shiva and Parvati. He sits on a throne or lotus, and is often found above temple gateways, in shops, houses and all Cox & Kings brochures.
In his arms he holds a conch, a discus, a bowl of sweets and a water lily and he is always attended by his vehicle, a rat. Ganesh is credited with having written the Mahabharata (the most popular of the epic Hindu texts), as dictated by the sage Vyasa, and he is regarded as a god of learning, success, prosperity and peace.