Ganesha means the king of ganas or earthly deities. He is also known as Vighneshwara or the dispeller of all obstacles.
Ganesha is regarded as the lord of the earth, just as Vishnu is the lord of Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu, and Shiva of Mount Kailash.
According to legend, Ganesha was born from the peeled-off waste that his mother, Goddess Parvati, rubbed off from her body one day, before taking her bath.