Indian Gods Ganesh: An elephant-headed god



Ganesh is also known as Ganesha and Ganpati, an elephant-headed god. Lord Ganesh is a god of wisdom and power. He is the worshiped first in every prayers and ritual. Lord Ganesh didn't have the head of an elephant from his birth, but there was a specific incident which led him to be worshiped as an elephant-headed

It is believed that when Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva wanted to have a bath, but since she was alone at home, she created a human child named Ganesh out of the earth to guard the entrance of the house until she takes a bath. While she was bathing, Lord Shiva came to the scene and wanted to enter the house. However, Ganesha blocked him from entering as he was ordered not to allow anyone inside. Angry Lord Shiva cut off Ganesha's head and entered the house. Parvati overcome with grief when she knew it. And knowing Ganesha was his son, Lord Shiva felt sad too. Parvati then asked Lord Shiva to go down the Himalayas (their abode), cut off the head of the first animal he sees and joins it onto the headless body of Ganesha. The first animal Lord Shiva found was an elephant and that is how Lord Ganesha an

Indian god

came to have the elephant's head and thus, infinite wisdom.