Ganaesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god of beginnings, is traditionally worshipped before any major enterprise and is the patron of intellectuals, bankers, scribes, and authors. His name means “Lord of the Ganas” (Ganesha is the chief of the ganas, the goblin hosts of Shiva).
This rare form of Ganesha riding an elephant is referred to in the Skanda Purana. Typically Ganesha’s vehicle is a large bandicoot rat.
