The Tale Of Ganesha…

By the local correspondent Inaya Sinha

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! Have you ever wondered how Ganesha landed up with an elephant's head? Even I didn't know the story for a long time but I know now and am happy to share. Would you like to know??

The Tale Of Ganesha

Parvati and Shiva, god and goddess. But the one thing they always yearned for was a child. One day, when Shiva was out meditating in the mountains. Parvati got an idea!

She saw a lump of clay in the corner and picked it up. She sculpted that clay into a statue of a boy and used her magic to turn him real. " Who am I? " said the sculpture of a boy opening it's eyes. " Ganesha! You are Ganesha! My son! " said Parvati with glee. " I am? Yay! What do I do now? " asked Ganesha. " I am going for a shower now and you must not let anybody enter, okay? Nobody! " said Parvati sweetly but firmly.

Ganesha did as his mother told him but then a blue man came towards their house. " Nobody may enter! " said Ganesha holding his arm out like a traffic guard. " What?? Why?? " said Shiva looking confused. " You need not know! But you may not enter! " said Ganesha holding his position showing that he would not be pushed around.

Full of anger, Shiva took his trident and cut Ganesha's head clean off!!!!

When Parvati came out of the shower she was furious! " What have you done!? My little boy! Aaarrgghh!!! Shiva! How mindless are you? That was our son! Now you had better go find a new head for him or else! " said Parvati blinded with anger. Now, Shiva really was in trouble!

They searched the entire mountains but they could not find a head for Ganesha. Finally, they reached a forest where Shiva found a very old elephant. " What's wrong, oh mighty Shiva? Why are you in such a sad mood? " asked the old elephant. " I was clouded by anger and accidentally cut off Parvati's son's head and haven't been able to find a new head just yet. " said Shiva. " Oh, that sounds like quite the debacle, oh mighty Shiva. But I think I have a solution. " said the old elephant with a smile.

" Take my head. I am an old elephant and will die soon. " said the elephant. " I couldn't! " said Shiva. " Please. " said the old elephant. So Shiva took his head and came back.

" You had better have found my precious little boy a new head! " said Parvati in tears. " I did. " said Shiva using his magic to attach Ganesha's new head. " An elephant's head! What were you thinking? Now everyone will make fun of our little boy. " said Parvati. " Ah, but there is the beauty of it. People will learn from Ganesha, how to accept other's differences and how not to make other's feel like the elephant in the room. " said Shiva making Parvati understand.

" I myself have learned that differences are good and to never let anger rule my mind again. I am so sorry, Parvati. " said Shiva sort of sad. " It's okay. " said Parvati hugging Shiva and Ganesha.

The End!