Where can I find the Hindu God Ganesh?

This is something that came to light when my daughter and I were shopping in a special shop called Radsada Handmade in Phuket Old Town.

My daughter asked me who was the pink elephant model – both inexplicable and endearing. Luckily I was an ex schoolteacher and knew that this was the Hindu God Ganesh.

Taking my daughter to school recently we noticed that there was a Ganesh figure at the front of the school (with the red soda pop). 

Then I saw it in a shop in Phuket Old Town - Little Monkey.

Then there was a figure on sale at Tesco.

Then I saw the figure on the side on a house on the way to work.

Then it was on the side of the road in Bangkok.

Then in more shops in Phuket Old Town.

Then at the Weekend Market.

This began a routine of Jemma pointing at the figure as we entered the Buddhist Wats and the Chinese Temples scattered throughout Phuket. Which led to me reading an article in the Bangkok Post. 

"Once only in art and entertainment the elephant headed Ganesh is on of the most worshipped deities in Thailand. Ganesh statues of all sizes can be found scattered throughout Thailand – the 24 metre long reclining Ganesh statue at Saman Rattanaram temple in the Chachoengsao province claims to be the biggest of its kind in the world."

BUT some people believe they must whisper in the ear of the Hindu god’s mount – a rat for their wishes to come true!

 - but the rat model is not always there....