Mahāgaṇapati
om mahāgaṇapataye namaḥ. omkāra svarūpāya namaḥ
ॐ, ओंकारस्वरूपाय नमः । महागणपतये नमः
Gaṇapati, Gaṅgaikoṇḍa coḻpuram
Gaṇapati is omkāra svarūpa, ॐ. akāra, ukāra, makāra is AUM. AUM is sabdabrahman, nādabrahman. AUM is and the base for vedas. We worship Gaṇapati, AUM, sabdabrahman, nādabrahman to provide us with clearity of thought, mind and strength to recite vedas and perform actions acording to the vedas.
Saptamatrikās, the mother of akṣara, svaram is worshiped. Sapta Svaras sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, da, ni, sa and Sapta Akṣaras (a)varga, (ka)varga, (ca)varga, (ṭa)varga, (ta)varga, (p)varga, (ya)varga are worshiped as Saptamatrikās. Gaṇapati is worshiped along with Saptamatrikās as their chief.
OM recited before starting vedic prayers, ie., we worship "the very vedas", the sabdabrahman in the form of AUM. sabdabrahman emanates from maunam, silence, quiteness. From the maunam emanates an heat energy, fire energy from which emanates the vedas and the vedas guides our path to reach the absolute.
This very concept is represented in our Temples. We begin worshiping Gaṇapati, omkāra svarūpa, then Dakṣiṇāmūrti (mauna-vyākhyā prakaṭita para-brahma-tattvam), then Liṅgotbhava, then Brahma (creation of names and forms), then Durga, Jyoti, knowledge (durgām devīm śaraṇamaham prapadye sutarasi tarase namaḥ) which guides us to the Absolute (in the main shrine). Nṛtta Gaṇapati represents akṣara, nāda, svara brahman (alphabet, music & dance) form of the Supreme.
Performing pradakṣiṇam and on seeing these mūrtis we understand the concepts behind our Temples and what they represent.
Sapta Akṣaras:-
(a)varga; (ka)varga; (ca)varga; (ṭa)varga; (ta)varga; (p)varga; (ya)varga
(अ) वर्ग; (क)वर्ग; (च)वर्ग; (ट)वर्ग; (त)वर्ग; (प)वर्ग; (य)वर्ग
(அ)வர்க; (க)வர்க; (ச)வர்க; (ட)வர்க; (த)வர்க; (ப)வர்க; (ய)வர்க
om ga̱ṇā̎nāṁ tvā ga̱ṇapa̍ti[hum] havāmahe ka̱viṁ ka̍vināmu̍pamaśravastamam | jye̱ṣṭha̱rājaṁ̱ brahmaṇāṁ brahmaṇaspata̱ ā naḥ śṛ̱ṇvannū̱tibhi̍ ssīda̱ sāda̍nam || mahagaṇapataye namaḥ
The article concept and guide: Śrī. R. Nagaswamy