The goddess Parvati, wishing for a guardian of her own, fashioned a boy from the turmeric paste of her own body and breathed life into him. She set him at her door with instructions to let no one enter while she bathed.

When Lord Shiva returned and the boy, not knowing him, barred his way, a fierce quarrel arose, and in his anger Shiva struck off the boy’s head. Parvati, emerging to find her son slain, was overcome with grief and rage, and the worlds trembled at her sorrow.

To console her, Shiva sent his attendants to bring the head of the first creature they found, which was an elephant. He fixed it upon the boy and restored him to life, naming him Ganesha and blessing him to be worshipped first among all the gods, before any undertaking.

The Moral

The birth of Ganesha teaches reverence, the restoring of what is broken, and the wisdom of new beginnings. The elephant head signifies great wisdom and discernment, and his place as the first to be worshipped reminds us to begin every endeavour with humility, clarity, and the removal of obstacles.