Sri Ganesha Purana

"Lord Ganesha is the Favourite Deity of not only the Hindus but also of most people following other religious faiths. He is not only popular in India but also across the globe. The innumerable temples built for this Deity in every village , every town, every city, every state and every country all over the world is a testimony to the growing faith on this Lord amongst people. It's the traditional faith among the Hindu Community that Lord Ganesha also known as Vinayaka, Ganapati, Vighneshwara etc annihilates any and every obstacle and impediment that may block the path to success in One's endeavour.
Hence it's common that Vinayaka is propitiated at the beginning of any Initiative, any auspicious Function or ceremony. Unlike other Deities of Hindu Faith, many aspects of Lord Ganapati including His physical appearance kindles intrigue in everyone. He has an abnormally huge human body but from head to neck he resembles an elephant. There are eighteen Mahapuranas and many Upa Puranas and Ganesha Purana is one among them."