Elon Musk’s tweet on Lord Ganesha sparks frenzy on Indian social media

Elon Musk set Indian social media abuzz after sharing a post referencing Lord Ganesha, the Hindu deity revered as the remover of obstacles and the god of wisdom, prosperity, and new beginnings.

The tech billionaire posted a link to a conversation he had with Grok, the AI assistant created by his company xAI, in which he asked the chatbot to identify an image of Lord Ganesha. The image depicted a traditional South Indian brass statue of the deity.

In its response, Grok accurately analysed the image, identifying it as a representation of Lord Ganesha. The AI detailed its reasoning, stating that the statue was likely made of brass or bronze and that its key identifying features included the elephant head, four hands, seated posture, and the mouse at the deity’s feet—iconographic symbols commonly associated with Ganesha.

The post quickly went viral, with thousands of Indian users reacting to Musk’s tweet. Many celebrated what they described as a moment of harmony between ancient wisdom and modern technology, praising both Musk and Grok for recognising an integral part of Hindu culture.

Several users described the exchange as symbolic. One user wrote that it was surreal to see Lord Ganesha appear inside Grok, remarking that one represented divine knowledge while the other embodied human-made intelligence. Another user called it a “blend of wisdom and technology”, while others lauded Grok’s detailed recognition of the deity’s features.

However, not all reactions were celebratory. Some users appeared puzzled, questioning Musk’s motivation behind the post. “What prompted you to search this, Elon?” one asked, while another wondered about the context of the tweet and whether it signalled a deeper message.

The tweet marks yet another example of Musk’s growing interest in Indian themes on social media.