Ganesha in Literature

Several literary works of the 2nd half of the second millennium CE are addressed to Ganapati.

The Ganesa Pancharatnam of Aadi Sankaracharya of the first millennium CE in sanskrit salutes Ganapati.

The tamil works of Tirumoolar and Avvaiyaar (of the 1st millennium CE), also bear hymns saluting Ganesha. The Vinayakar Akaval hymns of Avvaiyaar are well known. So are the Tiruppugazh hymns of Arunagirinathar of the 1st half of the 2nd millennium CE (addressed to Skanda). The popular Tiruppugazh hymn Kaittala nirai kani describes several of the attributes of Ganesha. It also refers to the role of Ganesha in Tripura Samharam and in Valli Kalyanam.

Several of the sanskrit kritis of the Karnatic Music composer Mutthuswamy Deekshitar salute Ganapati shrines all over Tamilnadu. Possibly the best known of these is Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje addressing Vatapi Ganapati at Tiruchenkattankudi (Ganapateeswaram) in Tamilnadu.