Ganesha The Origin of The Elephant Headed God

Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, is surely one of the most popular gods among the Hindu

pantheon.

He is a god associated with wisdom and success.

But his appearance was not always like the one we know today, since the god was born

with a human head.

Ganesha was raised from the oils and herbs used in the cleansing of Parvati's body.

Using this material, she molded a boy-shaped idol.

The goddess gave life to the statue and Ganesha emerged from it, who, at the time, still did

not have his famous elephant head.

Parvati raised Ganesha so that he would watch the door of her palace while the goddess took

her bath.

The young god was born while Shiva had left on one of his journeys and therefore they

did not recognize each other as father and son.

Ganesha had a strong bond with his mother.

He was always protecting her, sometimes to the point of jealousy and overprotection.

While the goddess Parvati was taking her bath, Ganesha protected her mother's privacy, preventing

anyone from entering the palace.

While Parvati refreshed herself, Shiva, her husband, returned from his quest and wanted

to meet his wife again.

But when he tried to walk to his wife, the god was blocked by Ganesha.

Enraged, the god ordered his son to step out of the way.

But Ganesha, who had no idea of his interlocutor's identity, told the invader he would not let

him take another step.

Both gods quarreled and the youngster fought bravely, showing plenty of skill.

Shiva was consumed by wrath and beheaded his son.

Parvati, who had heard the noise of their clash, rushed to help his son and was horrified

to find him beheaded and lying on the ground.

With her heart shattered, Parvati ordered Shiva to bring his son back to life, otherwise

she would assume the shape of Durga, the warrior goddess, unleashing her wrath.

To put an end to his wife's suffering, the god of destruction decided to restore Ganesha's

life.

But he needed a new head to do that.

Shiva ordered his servants, known as Ganas, to bring him the head of the first beast they

encountered.

The elephant was the first to appear.

They brought the animal's head to Shiva, who placed it on what had once been his son's

head.

Ganesha's life was restored, and despite his exotic appearance, the young god felt

quite pleased with his exquisite looks.

Together, Shiva and Parvati raised the young god, who would become one of India's most

popular.

This is just the origin of the story of the elephant god, copiously worshipped in India

for being a divinity who removes the obstacles that prevent mortals from achieving success.

Our channel has much more to talk about Lord Ganesha, since he is one of the most worshipped

deities among all Hindu gods.