Ganapati festival

So it's nearing that time of the year when we celebrate the elephant headed God lord Ganesh, also known as Vignaharta (destroyer of evil), Vinayaka, Moushakavahana His chariot is pulled by mice).

So those of you who are not familiar with the story of Lord Ganesh, here it is.
Shiva (one of the trinity of Hindu Gods(Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer)once left Parvati his wife,unguarded at home. Parvati wanted to have a private shower, so she creates a young boy from her bodily sweat (I wonder whether that was the genesis of present day cloning technology:-) so that he can guard her privacy. Well when her husband Lord Shiva comes home, he is not permitted by the young guard to go inside. He is furious and beheads Parvati's young guard. When Parvati sees this she is inconsolable and wants her son back. Shiva then goes out and brings an elephant head back and brings the boy alive. And that is how the elephant headed God was born. Lord Ganesh is worshipped before all the other God's.

The public worshipping of Lord Ganesh became a vogue, ever since Lokmanya Tilak started the practice during India's freedom struggle, as a platform to ensure public participation in reforms.

I will post more on the sculptors of the big public idols in my next blog and will also try and post pictures of this year's Ganapati festival which begins on September 3rd.