With Hinduism being the oldest religion known to man, there are many myths, epics and other texts that have held their own over time and are still very relevant today. There are many aspects of Hinduism that make it unique. A particularly intriguing aspect is that there are so many Gods who play a very important role in the countless stories that are told. As I read more about the Gods, I became curious as to why some of them are worshipped in the first place, so I began to read their stories. I found the story of Ganesh to stand out to me, since I have seen many images and statues of this God due to my mother’s love for Hinduism. Although, I never understood the role he played in such a fascinating religion. I decided to start with the story
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His appearance is iconic and widely recognized, even outside of the Hindu religion. However, there is a story that tells us why he looks the way he does. Before Ganesh had ever been created, there was Shiva, the God of destruction. He lived with his wife Parvati, the goddess of love, fertility and devotion. One day, Parvati was preparing a bath. She did not want anybody to intrude on her, so she asked a bull named Nandi to keep guard. Shiva, however, declared himself master of the house and disturbed his wife during her bath. This frustrated Parvati, so she decided to create somebody that would obey her. When she went for her next bath, she created Ganesh out of oils, sandalwood, and turmeric paste that she would normally use to wash herself. She had him guard her while she was in the bath, since he would obey her unconditionally and would not let Shiva disrupt his mother. Shiva tried very hard to get past Ganesh, but to no avail. Finally in a fierce battle, Shiva lost his temper and in a fit of rage, decapitated him. When Parvati learned of her son's death, she was outraged and demanded that Shiva bring him back to life, as well as bless him and allow for him to be worshipped before any God. Shiva obeyed, and sent Nandi to retrieve and elephant head to place onto Ganesh, where he was then reincarnated and deemed “the remover of
His appearance is iconic and widely recognized, even outside of the Hindu religion. However, there is a story that tells us why he looks the way he does. Before Ganesh had ever been created, there was Shiva, the God of destruction. He lived with his wife Parvati, the goddess of love, fertility and devotion. One day, Parvati was preparing a bath. She did not want anybody to intrude on her, so she asked a bull named Nandi to keep guard. Shiva, however, declared himself master of the house and disturbed his wife during her bath. This frustrated Parvati, so she decided to create somebody that would obey her. When she went for her next bath, she created Ganesh out of oils, sandalwood, and turmeric paste that she would normally use to wash herself. She had him guard her while she was in the bath, since he would obey her unconditionally and would not let Shiva disrupt his mother. Shiva tried very hard to get past Ganesh, but to no avail. Finally in a fierce battle, Shiva lost his temper and in a fit of rage, decapitated him. When Parvati learned of her son's death, she was outraged and demanded that Shiva bring him back to life, as well as bless him and allow for him to be worshipped before any God. Shiva obeyed, and sent Nandi to retrieve and elephant head to place onto Ganesh, where he was then reincarnated and deemed “the remover of