The Creation of Lord Ganesha

The Creation of Lord Ganesha: the Story of Adaptation and Crossing All Barriers

If we want to cast a glance at the creation of Lord Ganesha we have to go through the Shiva Puran and the Skanda Purana. The story of his birth is recounted in various other Hindu scriptures too.

According to the mythology Lord Ganesha was created by Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva. One day, while Lord Shiva was away, Parvati wished to have a son. She created a figure out of turmeric paste and put life into it. A beautiful boy appeared who later was known as Ganesha.

Lord Shiva returned home and found an unknown boy guarding the entrance of his abode. He was surprised and asked him to move aside. Ganesha refused to budge, citing his mother's orders that he should not allow anyone to enter into the house.

 Lord Shiva became furious. He was unaware of Ganesha's identity. He challenged him to be engaged him in a fierce battle. During the fight, Lord Shiva beheaded Ganesha. The moment He came to know of Ganesha’s identity, Lord Shiva filled with remorse ordered his followers to find the head of the first creature they found and attach it to Ganesha's body.

The first creature Lord Shiva’s persons found was an elephant. Its head was attached to Ganesha's body, to give him his distinctive appearance. Lord Shiva blessed Ganesha and made him the lord of all beginnings and remover of all obstacles. Since then, Lord Ganesha has been worshipped by millions of devotees round the globe.

According to other versions of the myth, the turmeric paste that Parvati used to create Ganesha was made from her own body. It symbolized her divine energy and power. 

The elephant head that Lord Ganesha was attached to was seen as a symbol of wisdom, strength, and prosperity. It represents too the idea of adapting and evolving in order to overcome obstacles. Elephants are known for their intelligence and ability to navigate through difficult situations of the forest.

Is there any other Story of Creation of Lord Ganesha?

Yes, there are. A story suggests that Lord Ganesha was created by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati together to guard their home and protect their family. They tried to combine their divine energies and later on shaped Ganesha out of clay. They gave him the elephant head and multiple arms as symbols of strength and power.

These are a few examples of the different stories related to Lord Ganesha's creation. All exist in Hindu mythology. The specifics may vary depending on the traditions and the sources of the particular story. But the overall themes of devotion, loyalty, and overcoming all kinds of obstacles remain consistent across all versions.

To Conclude

Whatever he story may be, Lord Ganesha is regarded as one of the superior gods of the Hindu religion. Creation of Lord Ganesha is packed with mythological anecdotes and symbolism. Ganesha was given the head of the elephant. Why so? It means that the elephant is the wisest and strong among all animals. What is the meaning of Ganesha? Ganesha means the king of gana. Gana refers to all types of animals, man, beasts, insects and all living beings. Symbolically Lord Ganesha is the supreme god. Hence He is worshipped first in all occasions.

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Lord Ganesha is the God who is remembered first. But how did this come about in the mythology? It is explained by the creation story of Ganesha. Once, Parvati was preparing for a bath at Mount Kailash, her home. In order to ensure that she wasn't disturbed, she asked Nandi, Shiva's bull, to guard the door and let no one in. Nandi took up his post fairfully, but when Shiva came back, the bull let him in. This enraged Parvati because she realised that she had no one who was as loyal to her as Nandi was to Shiva. In order to do something about it, she took the turmeric paste that she used for bathing, created a boy out of it and breathed life into him. She declared him as her son, Ganesha. The next time she wished to bathe, she asked Ganesha to let no one in. When Shiva came back, he found a strange boy refusing to let him into his own home. This angered Shiva and he cut Ganesha's head off. When Parvati realised what Shiva had done, she decided that she was going to destroy the world. To placate her, Shiva asked Brahma to go get the head of the first creature he finds facing North. When Brahma returned with the head of an elephant, Shiva aligned it with the body, and breathed life into Ganesha again.