First appeared in www.scroll.in on August 30, 2014. Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, worshipped as the destroyer of all obstacles and harbinger of peace and success, finds mention in some Hindustani vocal compositions. Perhaps, these pieces were composed by musicians engaged by patrons to perform during the ritual worship of this god. They may have also been inspired by the individual musician’s religious beliefs. Here is a Ganesh Vandana written by the saint-poet Tulsidas. It is sung by Jaipur-Atrauli vocalist