Ganesha

An elephant-headed god of the Hindu religion, Ganesha is a god of wisdom and learning. He is one of the most popular gods in india, and is considered gentle and loving by his followers. His vehicle is the mouse, or rat, for it can chew it's way out of anything. He has been my favorite for a long time. My friend Ade first found out that he existed in this book of gem stones that she had bought. It was written by a man of the Hindu faith and ever chapter he'd put a picture of a god, and in the beginning he wrote an invocation in the Indian language, then in English, then translated it. 'Shri Ganesha Namah'. I think he said it meant, 'I pay homage to Lord Ganesha'. Suffice to say, it's been a quote of mine for about a year now, and I do my best to put it at the beganing of all my stories.

'Ganesha originally got his elephant head when he was just a baby. The story goes like this: One day, a long, long time ago, Parvarti (His goddess Momma) was lonely because her husband Shiva was away dancing on a mountain top. She got so lonely that she decided to create a companion and after much brain storming, molded a small, roly-poly baby out of clay. She breathed life into him and he awoke and entertained Parvarti very much. She named him Ganesha. Sometime after that, Shiva decided that he missed his wife and journeyed home. He searched around for his wife, but couldn't find her anywhere. He went to the bathing room and heard water splashing, so he knew Parvarti was in there. But when Shiva tried to enter, a young, fat boy stopped him and forbad him to enter. You see, Parvarti in her shyness told Ganesha to guard her door, so that no stranger could see her nakedness.

Shiva argued with Ganesha, but the loyal son stood his ground, and Shiva, becoming so annoyed, whipped out his sword and smote off poor Ganesha's head. Parvarti, hearing the commotion, rushed outside to find her son dead by her husbands hands. She threw herself weeping on the body and Shiva, confused and upset at his wife's misery asked her what was wrong.

"What's wrong, you ask? I'll tell you what's wrong!" She sobbed angrily. "You killed our son!"

"I have no son." Shive replied, shaking his mighty head.

"Of course we do! I made him out of clay because I was lonely and you weren't here to be with me but now he's dead and I'll never, ever forgive you unless you do something about it!"

Shiva thought for a moment. He really hadn't meant to kill him, so he thought and thought till finally he gave a shout and called one of his servants to him.

"Go out into the forest and kill the first animal you see. Chop it off and bring it back here."

The servant nodded and in about as much time as it takes to sneeze, he returned carrying the head of a baby elephant. Shiva fastened it on the head of his dead son and breathed life into it, and Ganesha popped up even more adorable then before. And from that day onward, Ganesha has been shown with an elephant head.'

That's my story. Isn't it wonderful? Oh well, bye!