Ganamba (गणाम्बा, IAST: Gaṇāmbā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “Mother of the celestial hosts and divine attendants”. Gaṇa (a group, troop, or divine host — especially Śiva's attendants) + ambā (mother) reveals Lalitā as the universal mother who tenderly presides over all the gaṇas, the innumerable troops of celestial beings.

Meaning, etymology & significance

In Hindu cosmology, gaṇas are the vast attendant hosts of Śiva, governed by Gaṇeśa as their lord; by being named Gaṇāmbā, Lalitā is honored as the loving mother who encompasses even these powerful beings within her maternal care. The name parallels Guhāmbā (no. 706) in structure, reinforcing the Sahasranāma's vision of the Goddess as the universal mother of all classes of existence.

Gaṇāmbā is also independently worshipped as a local goddess in several South Indian temples, where she is venerated as a fierce yet compassionate protector of devotees and presider over divine retinues. Pronounced guh-NAAM-baa, with the nasal ṇ characteristic of Sanskrit.

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Scriptural source

Ganamba appears in the Lalitha Sahasranama, among the sacred names of Lalitha.

Astrology — nakshatra, rashi & numerology

By the standard Vedic correspondence between a name’s first syllable and the lunar mansion, Ganamba aligns with the Dhanishta nakshatra, under the Makara rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 8.