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46 free Ganesha trivia questions with answers — history quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Ganesha trivia for the most recognisable god in the Hindu pantheon. This quiz covers how he came by his elephant head, what his names Ganapati, Vinayaka, Ekadanta and Lambodara mean, why he is worshipped first before any other deity, his broken tusk and the story of writing down the Mahabharata for Vyasa, the mouse he rides, the sweets he loves and the objects in his four hands. It also looks at his family - Shiva and Parvati, his brother Kartikeya, the goddesses Buddhi, Siddhi and Riddhi - and at Ganesh Chaturthi: the ten-day festival, the clay idols and their immersion, Lokmanya Tilak's 1893 transformation of it into a public celebration, and Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple. The last questions follow Ganesha beyond India to Jains, Buddhists, Thailand and Japan. Questions run from easy to expert. Every answer was checked against a reference page and carries its source. See also our Shiva quiz.
30 of 46 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Along with his elephant head, how many arms does Ganesha usually have?
Four
A large belly completes the standard image.
Q 02Ganesha is most widely revered as the remover of what?
Obstacles
Ganesha is revered as Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles, and as Vighnaraja, lord of obstacles, who can both place them and clear them away.
Q 03Ganesha is the son of which divine couple?
Shiva and Parvati
Ganesha is the son of Shiva and Parvati; the Puranas give several birth stories, and in some he is created by Parvati alone.
Q 04In the most common story, Ganesha received his animal head after which god beheaded him?
Shiva
Shiva beheaded the boy who barred his way to Parvati's chamber, then replaced the head with an elephant's to console her.
Q 05From what did Parvati create Ganesha in the best-known version of his birth?
Clay
In the best-known account Parvati shaped Ganesha from clay, or the earth and paste from her own body, to guard her door; another version has him spring from Shiva's laughter.
Q 06Which small animal serves as Ganesha's usual vahana, or mount?
A mouse
Ganesha's usual mount is a mouse, called Mushika, shown at his feet; the earliest images have no mount, and most of his Mudgala Purana incarnations ride the mouse.
Q 07What sweet is most famously offered to Ganesha, who is often shown holding a bowl of them?
Modak
Modak, a steamed rice-flour dumpling filled with coconut and jaggery, is Ganesha's favourite sweet; he is often shown holding a bowl of them.
Q 08Ganesha's name Ekadanta refers to what feature?
His single tusk
Ekadanta means 'one-tusked', referring to Ganesha's single whole tusk; it was his earliest recorded name, and the Mudgala Purana names an incarnation after it.
Q 09Ganesha's name Lambodara means what?
One who has a hanging belly
Lambodara means 'one who has a hanging belly', from lamba, hanging, and udara, belly; the Sanskrit lexicon Amarakosha lists it among Ganesha's synonyms.
Q 10The name Ganesha combines gana, 'group or multitude', with isha, meaning what?
Lord or master
The ganas are the troop of semi-divine beings in Shiva's retinue, so he is their lord.
Q 11Which name for Ganesha is used in Tamil?
Pillaiyar
Tamils call Ganesha Pillaiyar, from pillai, 'child', often glossed as 'noble child'; Perumal and Ayyanar are Tamil names of Vishnu and a village guardian god.
Q 12Ganesha holds the title Pratham Pujya, meaning he is what?
Worshipped first before any other god
Pratham Pujya means 'first worshipped': Ganesha is invoked before any other deity at the start of rituals, new ventures and even other gods' festivals.
Q 13Which epic did Ganesha agree to write down as the sage Vyasa dictated it?
The Mahabharata
Q 21Mumbai's famous Siddhivinayak temple stands in which neighbourhood?
Prabhadevi
The Siddhivinayak temple stands in Prabhadevi, in central Mumbai; it was built in 1801 by Laxman Vithu and Deubai Patil.
Q 22A famous pilgrimage circuit around Pune visits how many Ganesha temples?
Eight
The circuit is the Ashtavinayaka, Sanskrit for 'eight Ganeshas'; it links eight ancient temples in the Pune region, each with its own form and lore.
Q 23Ganesh Jayanti, celebrated as Ganesha's birthday in parts of western India, falls in which Hindu month?
Magha
Ganesh Jayanti falls on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Magha, in January or February, and is observed mainly in western and south-western India.
Ganesha wrote down the Mahabharata as Vyasa dictated it; Vyasa's own condition was that Ganesha understand every verse before writing it down.
Q 14What condition did Ganesha set before agreeing to be the sage's scribe?
Vyasa must recite without pausing
It is why he is associated with mental agility and learning.
Q 15Who is Ganesha's brother, the god of war?
Kartikeya
He is also called Skanda and Murugan; the north says he is the elder, the south says Ganesha is.
Q 16Buddhi, Siddhi and Riddhi, said in one tradition to be Ganesha's wives, personify what?
Intellect, spiritual power and prosperity
Buddhi, Siddhi and Riddhi personify intellect, spiritual power and prosperity; one tradition makes them Ganesha's wives or attendants, while another holds he was a lifelong celibate brahmachari.
Q 17Ganesha's annual festival, Ganesh Chaturthi, typically falls in which months?
August or September
Ganesh Chaturthi falls in August or September, on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month Bhadrapada, and the celebrations run ten days.
Q 18What happens to the clay Ganesha idols at the end of the festival?
They are immersed in water
The immersion, visarjan, takes place on Ananta Chaturdashi; Mumbai alone immerses around 150,000.
Q 19Which Indian nationalist turned Ganesh Chaturthi into a grand public event in 1893?
Lokmanya Tilak
Lokmanya Tilak made Ganesh Chaturthi a public festival in 1893, using the 'god for everyman' to bridge castes and rally Indians against British rule.
Q 20Ganesh Chaturthi is a state festival of which Indian state?
Maharashtra
Ganesh Chaturthi is the signature public festival of Maharashtra; the Peshwas had already made it a public celebration in their capital Pune in the 18th century.
Q 24Ganesha is identified with which sacred sound, said to be his very form?
Om
The term omkarasvarupa means 'Om is his form'.
Q 25Ganesha's form Heramba-Ganapati has how many heads?
Five
Heramba-Ganapati has five heads and ten arms; the form is especially popular in Nepal, where he is worshipped as a protector of the weak.
Q 26What does Ganesha hold in his lower-right hand in his standard form?
His broken tusk
In his standard form Ganesha holds his broken tusk in his lower-right hand; the lower-left holds a sweet, which he samples with his trunk.
Q 27Which two implements does Ganesha typically hold in his upper arms?
An axe or goad and a noose
The goad drives the devotee forward; the noose captures whatever stands in the way.
Q 28What colour is Ganesha most often described as?
Red
Red is the colour most often associated with Ganesha; the Sritattvanidhi prescribes other colours for particular meditation forms, such as white for Rina-Mochana-Ganapati.
Q 29According to the Ganesha Purana, which serpent did Ganesha wrap around his neck?
Vasuki
The Ganesha Purana says Ganesha wrapped the serpent Vasuki around his neck; snakes also appear as his sacred thread, belt or throne.
Q 30Ganesha's name Dvaimatura means what?
One who has two mothers
Dvaimatura means 'one who has two mothers', from dvi, two, and matr, mother; the Amarakosha lists it among Ganesha's synonyms, reflecting birth stories with two maternal figures.