All things have a story...
In the Hindu religion, Shiva is known as a "Destroyer God." He is portrayed as a wild being and usually depicted with long hair flying in the wind and flames around him. His stepson is the very popular Ganesh, the god with the elephant head. Ganesh is known as a god of good fortune, time and wisdom. This elephant-headed god of the Hindus is also the patron of every science and art form. But that is not all that Ganesh does. He is also the Lord of Obstacles and places challenges in our path. He is also the one who can remove them. Most devotees of Shiva believe Ganesh to be the physical embodiment of the Laws of Karma as well. Legends abound that Ganesh at one time had a human-looking head but somehow lost it. His mother, Parvati, in anger wanted to destroy the entire universe unless a new head was found. Somehow the elephant head became available and this unique looking god is now very much distinguished from the other millions of Hindu gods. What also distinguishes Ganesh is that he has only one tusk; apparently the other tusk was knocked out by Parashurama. Ganesh is usually featured with candy in one hand and a goad and noose in the other. The Hindus believe him to be a teacher who provides tests to us and which help us become stronger. As a result, Ganesh is also thought to be the god of education. Today, Ganesh is celebrated by many Hindus and his form is popular even with non-Hindus, as can be seen in the many statues created in his likeness.
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