The Story of Ganesha

As I plan to make a post explaining the celebrations that took place during Ganesh Chaturthi, I thought it would be worth while noting down the story of the God in a post as well. Everyone I asked had a slightly different telling of the story, most very similar but a few different so I plan to tell you the story just as Vara Lakshmi (one of my students) told me the Tuesday before celebrations started. Her telling of the story attracted many of the students and Aunties to the dorm we were sat in and there were very few times when she was corrected so I will take that to mean this version is a popular one.

Shiva, one of the most loved and feared Gods, was married to the kind and loving Goddess Parvati and both lived on Mount Kailash. One day, Shiva decided to travel the world and, in his absence, Parvati decided she fancied a bath. Understandably, she was uncomfortable with the idea of taking this bath without Shiva to guard the door so she decided to fashion herself someone to keep watch. She crafted the image of a young boy out of wood and tumeric paste, named him Ganesha and breathed life into him. Being the loving Goddess she was, the boys took his place in her heart as her son rather than simply a guard and she grew very fond of him. 

Some time later, Shiva returned home to Mount Kailash from his travels and was outraged to find that he was turned away from his own home by a small boy. In a fit of anger, Shiva brutally removed the head of the boy and his body was left lying on the floor beside the door. When Parvati found out she was completely distraught over the death of her son and refused to talk to Shiva until the situation was resolved. With his anger subsiding, Shiva saw that to make his wife happy again he would have to bring Ganesha back to life- and for this he would need a new head. According to Vara Lakshmi, at the time of this story there was a law forbid anyone from sleeping with their head facing North. Shiva send his angels out to find the first creature that disobeyed this simple law, cut of its head and bring it back to him. As animals did not understand this law, it didn't take the angels long before they found an elephant sleeping with their head facing North so they obeyed their orders and brought the head back to Shiva. In an attempt to stop Parvati's grief, not only did Shiva fix the head onto the body of the boy, thus bringing him back to life, but he also declared Ganesha as his own son and presented him with a the status of one of the foremost Gods. Parvati was overjoyed by this and forgave her husband for his anger and all was well on Mount Kailash. 

Ganesha's resurrection is the reason for celebrating new beginnings during Ganesh Chaturthi and many of the prayers people make to Ganesh during his visit are asking for peace and prosperity during a time of change or for the success of a new start - something I very much liked the idea of with the festival coming taking place so close to our arrival here.