Ganesha, the Lord of Ganas, the elephant faced God, represents the power of the Supreme Being that removes obstacles and ensures success in human endeavors. Ganesha is revered as the son of the Shiva and Parvati, and is always honored first in most worship services and rituals. Ganesha is also known as Ganapati, Vigneswara, Vinayaka, Gajamukha and Ainkaran. He is worshipped for siddhi, success in  undertakings, and buddhi, intelligence.  He is worshipped before any venture is started. He is also the God of education, knowledge and wisdom, literature,  and the fine arts.  Ganesha is also one of the five Gods the worship of whom was popularised by Adi Shankaracharya; the other four are Vishnu, Shiva,  Devi and Surya. The worship of these five deities is called the pancayatana puja. In some cases, a sixth God, Skanda is also worshipped. The large head of an elephant symbolizes wisdom, understanding, and a discriminating intellect that one must possess to attain perfection in life.Ganesha idol is made of Parad (mercury) which is a very pious metal.  Lord Ganesh  represents the power of the supreme being that removes obstacles and ensures success in human endeavors.