Why Ganesha is a strategic target of Demonology?
The denigration of sacred symbols serves to embarrass young impressionable Hindus, so that they feel pressured to dilute their Hindu identities. Ganesha is a very strategic symbol in this regard. One of Lokmanya Tilak’s major tools was the use of Ganesha as a symbol of nationalist self-assertion against the British: Subconsciously, Western scholars have a latent aversion to Ganesha because of the role his symbolism played in anti-Colonial activity. *** Lokmanya Tilak promoted two annual festivals – one dedicated to the Hindu god Ganesha, the other honoring Shivaji, the great Maratha hero Refer to Invading the Sacred: An Analysis of Hinduism Studies in America – By Krishnan Ramaswamy, Antonio de Nicolas and Aditi Banerjee. *** His Marathi style was particularly effective and made a direct appeal to villagers, who would gather to have it read to them. Tilak also promoted in his papers the celebration of two new annual festivals one dedicated to the Hindu god Ganesha, the other honoring t
