Ganesh's 32 Contemplations

1-Ganesh's 10 Forms

Ganesh's 10 contemplations are well known

1. Baal Ganapati (Rakt Varn - crimson complexioned) adorned with a garland of tender flowers, having plantain, mango, jack fruit, sugarcane and sweets in his hands and who is effulgent like the rising sun.

2. The young Lord Ganapati - Shree Tarun Ganapati (Rakt Varn - crimson complexioned), who is carrying in his hands the noose, hook, rice-cake, guava fruit, rose, apple, own broken tusk, bunch of corn ears and sugarcane and who vividly shines forth with His brilliant youthfulness.

3. Shree Bhakt Ganapati (Shubhra Varn - white complexioned), who is the Lord of his devotees and who shines like the autumn moon, with coconut, mango, plantain, jaggery and sweets in his hands.

4. Shree Veer Ganapati (Rakt Varn - crimson complexioned) who is armed with Betaal, the weapon of power, arrow, bow, wheel, sword, club, hammer, mace, hook, Naag Paash (serpent noose), spear, plough and the shining axe.

5. Lord Shakti Ganapati (Sindoor - vermillion complexioned) the destroyer of fear, who is embracing tightly the green complexioned Devee and whose complexion resembles that of the setting sun and who is holding noose and rod in His hands.

6. Blessed is he who remembers Thee, O Dwij Ganapati (Shubhra Varn - white complexioned), One having the book, rosary, staff and Kamandalu (water bowl) in Thy hands and endowed with the color of the Moon and with the dignity of elephant face.

7. Salutations to Thee O golden complexioned Siddhi Ganapati (Pingal Varn - golden complexioned). Thou endowed with wealth and prosperity and adorning a ripe mango, bunch of flowers, sugarcane, sesame seeds, sweets and axe in Thy hands.

8. May the dark complexioned Uchchhisht Ganapati (Neel Varn - blue complexioned), having a dark blue lotus, pomegranate fruit, Veenaa, corn ears and rosary in His hands protect me.

9. He, Shree Vighnraaj Ganapati (Swarn Varn - golden complexioned), who adorns conch, sugarcane, flowers, dagger, rope, wheel, tusk, hook, bunch of tender leaves and Darbha grass in His hands and who shines gloriously with the splendor of ornaments that Vighneshwar, the essence of all lights is ever victorious.

10. I meditate on the effulgent Kshipraa Ganapati (Rakt Varn - crimson complexioned), with tusk wish yielding creeper, noose, pot of jewels and hook and glowing brilliantly like the red Bandhhook flower.

[From http://www.mantraonnet.com/ganesh-epic/ganesh-contemplations1.html]

The following site lists 16 forms of Ganapati including the above mentioned -

11. Heramb Ganapati
12. Srishti Ganapati
13. Mahaa Ganapati
14. Bhuvanesh Ganapati
15. Nritya Ganapati
16. Oordhwa Ganapati

[http://www.nyganeshtemple.org/publications/photoalbum/pa_shodasaganesha.htm]

This site lists 32 forms of Ganapati

(1) Baal Ganapati - This form depicts Ganesh as a child. The body is red colored. He has four hands carrying in them a plantain, a mango, a jack fruit and a stalk of sugarcane; with a sweet cake in his trunk.

(2) Tarun Ganapati - This form depicts Ganesh as a young man. He has eight hands carrying in them a noose, a goad, round cake of flour, wood apple fruit, rose apple fruit.

(3) Bhakt Ganapati - White in color, shining like moon. In his four hands, he carries a coconut, a mango, a plantain and a bowl full of jaggery porridge.

(4) Veer Ganapati - Also called as Veer Vighnesh, he exhibits the martial spirit with several weapons in his 16 hands. He is pale red in body color. Veer Vighnesh is 3-eyed with a crescent moon on the head.

(5) Shakti Ganapati - Worship of this aspects is said to confer special powers or grant the desired fruits quickly. Ganesh is 4-armed, embracing with two arms a feminine consort (Devee-Shakti ) green in body, or sometimes his consorts Riddhi, Siddhi and Buddhi (success, prosperity and knowledge), or even Lakshmee sitting on his thigh.

(6) Dhavaja Ganapati - This form of Ganapati is bright white, like the full Moon. He is 4-headed and 4-armed carrying a book of scripture and a holy water pot.

(7) Siddh Ganapati - This form has four hands carrying ripe mango, a bunch of flowers , sugarcane stalk and sesame sweet cake. A battle axe or the sweet cake are held by the trunk.

(8) Uchchhisht Ganapati - Uchchisht Ganapati is associated with unclean things like orts, whose worship belongs to Vaamaachaar (the left handed path or the heterodox and unclean path) and said to give quick results. Uchchisht Ganapati, sculpted as naked, is dark colored, four arms carrying blue lotus; Lute (Veenaa); paddy grain stalk and rosary. Pomegranate fruit is held in his trunk. Ganapat is red colored in body with three eyes.

(9) Vighn Ganapati - Burnished gold in body color, well decorated with ornaments, in his ten arms.

(10) Kshipraa Ganapati - Red in body color and four armed carrying tusk, Kalpa Lataa (wish fulfilling creeper); noose and a pot of jewels.

(11) Heramb Ganapati - Has five heads, ten hands, three eyes in each face and rides a lion. In this form, he is extremely white in complexion.

(12) Lakshmee Ganapati - He is found in the Vishwanaath Swaamee temple at Tenkasee, built by a Paandyaa king. Ganapati in this form is fair complexioned and resembles the flow of nectar. The consort of Vishnu (The Preserver of Human Life) is always placed along with Ganesh Jee, because we love Lakshmee (wealth) and are ever worried about annoying her, to be on the safe side we worship her along with Ganesh. Since she cannot precede him, she sits next to him; she is never neglected. She is always placed to the right of him as she is like a mother to him.

(13) Mahaa Ganapati - This form is the one worshipped maximum by the Ganapataya(s). The body color is reddish, crescent Moon adores the head, Ganesh is 3-eyed in this form.

(14) Vijaya Ganapati - He is mounted on a mouse, four armed carrying a noose, goad, tusk and a mango fruit. He is also called as Bhuvanesh Ganapati.

(15) Nritya Ganapati - This form is found at Halebidu in the Hoysaleshwar temple. It is a very fine piece of sculpture and perfect in modeling. In his four hands, he carries a noose, a goad, a battle axe and tusk. A round cake made of dough is held in his trunk. A beautiful form, showing him in a graceful dance pose; Ganesh is supposed to have taken this stance when the Creator bowed to him and he was so happy that he started to dance and thus earned the title of the master of the arts of music and dance.

(16) Oordhwa Ganapati - He is golden complexioned and his feminine consort is light green complexioned. He carries a Kalhaar flower, paddy stalk, lotus, bow of sugar stalk , arrow, tusk and mace; the eighth hand is wound round his consort.

(17) Ekaakshar Ganapati - He is clad in red garments decorated with flowers. His seat is of lotus and his ornaments are of snakes. His body is soft with oily substances.

(18) Var Ganapati - He is bright red colored in body, his trunk holds a pot of wealth.

(19) Tryakshar Ganapati - He is golden complexioned with large fanning ears and four arms.

(20) Shipra Prasaad Ganapati - He is seated on a mat of lotus. In his from, he is the storm that drives away the obstacles.

(21) Haridra Ganapati - A manifestation of Ganapati, who offers protection to his devotees. The body in his form is yellow in color.

(22) Ekdant Ganapati - Dark colored, protruding belly, standing in pose, his four hands hold an axe, a rosary, sweets Laddoo and the tusk.

(23) Srishti Ganapati - This Ganapati is skilled in creation.

(24) Uddand Ganapati - A fair complexioned feminine consort, sitting on the lap of Ganesh is holding a lotus. Ganesh who is red in body color, has twelve hands.

(25) Rin-Mochak Ganapati - To bless riddance of indebtedness is the boon of this Ganapati, who is crystal white.

(26) Dundhi Ganapati - This is a special form limited to Vaaraanasee, India.

(27) Dwi-Mukhaa Ganapati - Greenish blue Ganapati has two heads, who wears red garments and a bejeweled crown on his head.

(28) Tri-Mukhaa Ganapati - He is three headed Ganapati and seated on lotus shaped splendid throne of lotus.

(29) Sinh Ganapati - He has lion's head. His body is bright white like moon. He has eight arms.

(30) Yog Ganapati - Ganesh in this form is in Yog posture, sitting cross legged. He is in a meditative mood in this form.

(31) Durgaa Ganapati - He has eight hands, which carry the flaming goad arrow, rosary, tusk on the right side and on left hands, he carries a noose, bow, wish fulfilling creeper and rose apple.

(32) Sankat Haaraa Ganapati - He has four hands. This form is fair complexioned dressed in deep blues, decorated with jewels and holding a lotus in hand.

[From http://ganeshgalli.com/32forms.htm]