With the prabhavali arched gracefully around his body, Lord Ganesha is carved in his much-beloved, pot-bellied form with Mushak, his vahan, bringing an offering of sweet modak near his knees. Progeny of Lord Shiva and Parvati, he is the one, in the entire pantheon of divine beings, who is worshipped at the beginning of any auspicious moment—be it a wedding, a new home, or anything else. The story of his birth is one filled with several lessons and miracles. Parvati once wanted to take a bath without being disturbed, so she breathed life into the likeness of a small boy built with turmeric.
She gave him duties to guard the house and went to take a bath. However, while he was guarding, Lord Shiva came and demanded to be let in. When he was refused, he grew angry and beheaded Ganesha. When Parvati saw this, she was so angry that she threatened to destroy the cosmos. Lord Shiva, then, replaced Ganesha’s head with that of an elephant and performed a miracle that made him live again. His trunk is carved intricately by nimble hands in this idol, one he uses to destroy any obstacles that come in the way of his devotees. In his hands, he holds a noose, a conch, his broken tusk that symbolises his unending wisdom, and a plate full of modak which is his favourite sweet.
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