Ganesha is revered as the son of the Universal parents Shiva and Parvati, and is always honoured first in most worship services and rituals. Ganesha is also known as Ganapati, Vigneswara, Vinayaka, Gajamukha and Ainkaran. The huge size of Ganapati represents the Universe (Cosmos), and his curled trunk, the symbol OM. The elephant's head is said to represent superior intellect while the snake around his waist cosmic energy. His broken tusk is symbolic of knowledge, as it is believed that it is with this tusk that he wrote down the Mahabharata, in the capacity of a scribe, when it was recited by the sage Vyasa. The mouse - mooshikam, his mount is said to symbolize the equal importance of the biggest and smallest of creatures, in the eyes of the infinity of creation Bhraman. Ganesha is believed to have been the scribe who wrote down the text of the Indian epic Mahabharatam as it was recited by the sage Vyasa. The Ganesa Pancharatnam of Aadi Sankaracharya in sanskrit salutes Ganapati. The tamil works of Tirumoolar and Avvaiyaar (of the 1st millennium CE), also bear hymns saluting Ganesha. So do the Tiruppugazh hymns of Arunagirinathar of the 1st half of the 2nd millennium CE. Several of the sanskrit kritis of the Karnatic Music composer Mutthuswamy Deekshitar salute Ganapati shrines all over Tamilnadu. Several small temples dedicated to Ganapati adorn all towns and villages of south India. Most of these are modern temples. There are several shrines to Ganesha in all Saivite temples all over south India. Ganesha is taken out at the head of all processions in festivals celebrated in the Saivite temples of Tamilnadu. Vinayaka Chaturti is a festival celebrated in honour of Ganesha, and it is celebrated as a community festival in the state of Maharashtra, where Vinayak is held in great reverence, especially in the 8 Ashta Vinayak temples in the vicinity of Pune and in the Siddhi Vinayak temple in Mumbai. Perhaps the most ancient of Ganapati shrines in India, is the well known Karpaka Vinayakar temple in the town of Pillaiarpatti near Karaikkudi in Tamilnadu. This temple with a rock cut shrine, bearing a colossal form of Vinayakar, is over 1600 years old. The Ucchi Pillaiyaar temple, on top of a hill defining Tiruchirappalli's (Tamilnadu) skyline, enshrines Ganapati, who is said to have been instrumental in enshrining Ranganathar at Srirangam nearby.