Why Ganesha Has an Elephant Head
Parvati creates Ganesha to guard her privacy. Shiva, not recognizing him, strikes him down. The loss becomes repair when Ganesha is restored with an elephant head and honored before all beginnings.
For children: Ganesha protects his mother's doorway. A mistake becomes a new beginning when he is restored and blessed.
Themes
beginningsboundariesrepairwisdom
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Sources
- Shiva Purana and Puranic Ganesha traditions ยท Traditional retelling