How Ganesha Got His Elephant Head

Long ago, Goddess Parvati lived on Mount Kailash. Lord Shiva had gone away to meditate for a long time. One day, Parvati made a beautiful boy from sandalwood paste and breathed life into him. She named him Ganesha. Parvati told Ganesha to guard the door while she went to take a bath. She said he must not let anyone come inside. Ganesha stood bravely at the door. Soon, Lord Shiva returned home. Ganesha did not know who Shiva was, so he stopped him from entering. Shiva became very angry and in his rage, he cut off Ganesha's head. When Parvati came out and saw what had happened, she was heartbroken. Shiva realized his terrible mistake. He sent his helpers to find the first living creature they could see and bring back its head. The helpers found an elephant first. Shiva placed the elephant's head on Ganesha's body and brought him back to life. He blessed Ganesha with a special gift — that before any auspicious work, people would worship Ganesha first.