The Origin of Ganesha's Elephant Head
Goddess Parvati, longing for a son, created a boy from sandalwood paste and turmeric from her own body, breathed life into him, and appointed him as her guardian while she bathed. When Lord Shiva returned and tried to enter, the boy — who had never met his father — stopped him, obeying his mother's command. Enraged by this defiance, Shiva severed the boy's head. When Parvati emerged and saw her son dead, her grief and fury threatened to destroy the universe. To pacify her, Shiva sent his attendants to fetch the head of the first creature they found facing north, which was an elephant. He place