In Shingon tradition, the female figure of Kangiten's embracing pair is Avalokiteshvara, who took elephant-headed form to subdue the obstacle-demon Vinayaka through the power of compassionate embrace, transforming him from a source of calamity into a granter of bliss.
Ganesha is worshipped in Japan as Kangiten (the Bliss God), transmitted through esoteric Buddhism. Kangiten retains Ganesha's elephant-headed form and association with prosperity and obstacle removal, adapted into Japanese Buddhist and Shinto devotional practice.
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