Why Ganesha's head is an elephant head?

 

My Indian friend sent me a video of a festival celebrating Ganesha's birthday.

Ganesha is a Hindu god with an elephant's head and four arms.

He is the child of Shiva and the goddess Parvati, and is widely revered in India as the god of wealth.

So why is Ganesha's head an elephant head?

One day, Ganesha's mother, the goddess Parvati, was bathing at home.

During that time, she used the dirt from her body to make a figure.

And she breathed life into that figure, creating her son.

That is Ganesha.

And the goddess Parvati assigned a task to Ganesha.

"While I am bathing, do not let anyone into the house."

"Understood, Mother!!"

And while Ganesha was standing guard,

Shiva, the husband of the goddess Parvati, returned home.

Then, there was an unfamiliar figure standing in front of his house.

"Who is this guy?"

"No entry allowed right now!!"

Ganesha followed his mother's orders and refused Shiva's entry.

However, unaware of the situation, Shiva became furious.

"Shut up!!

This is my house!!

And who the heck are you asshole  anyway!?"

Slam!!

Shiva cut off Ganesha's head.

And then, he threw the head far away!!

Upon realizing this, the goddess Parvati was astonished.

OH MY GOD!!

"Ganesha is my son who I created!!"

"What!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"

"Where did it go!?"

Realizing this, Shiva became anxious and hurried to search for the head.

But it was too late. 

The head, thrown far away by the strong-armed Shiva's full-force throw, would not be found so easily.

He probably resented his own strong shoulder.

"Where on earth is it!!"

But it could not be found no matter what.

There, an elephant happened to pass by.

"Ah dam it, there's no helping it. This one's head will do!!"

So, Shiva... 

cut off the head of an elephant that happened to be nearby... 

and attached it to Ganesha's body, bringing him back to life.

Thus was born Ganesha, the god with the elephant head.

Ganesha's birthday is celebrated as a grand Hindu festival known as Ganesha Chaturthi throughout India. 

It is observed every year in the sixth month of the Hindu calendar, during the month of Bhadrapada, typically spanning ten days from August to September. 

During Ganesha Chaturthi, people worship Ganesha's idols in their homes and public spaces, performing prayers and rituals for several days. Finally, through a ritual called Visarjan, the idols are immersed in rivers or the sea, returning Ganesha to nature. Throughout the festival, families and community members gather to enjoy music, dance, and meals together.

The article that is related to this article is " Have you ever captured a jaguar?"

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Human history is truly complex, isn’t it? There are countless websites introducing historical figures and events, but many of them are just plain explanations—not exactly exciting to read. On the other hand, reading books takes a lot of time and effort. That’s where I come in. Through "stories that are more engaging than explanations and shorter than books," I aim to bring the world’s history and humanity’s records to you in a more accessible and interesting way. If my stories inspire you to love history a little more, I’d be absolutely thrilled!

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My name is Natalie, and I am a passionate storyteller and digital creator. I write and create in various genres and am particularly interested in how AI and humanity will evolve together. My interests span spirituality, space, artificial intelligence, and history. I also have a rich creative background. A storyteller who places art with stories.