She told Ganesha to stand at the door and not let anyone enter while she was bathing. Ganesha agreed to obey his mother, and stood guard at the door with a stick in his hand.
Meanwhile, Lord Shiva came back from his meditation, and wanted to see his wife. He did not know that Parvati had created a son out of turmeric paste. He walked towards the door of her palace, and saw Ganesha blocking his way. He asked him to move aside and let him in, but Ganesha refused. He said that he was the son of Parvati, and that he had orders to not let anyone enter while she was bathing.
Lord Shiva was surprised and angry. He thought that Ganesha was an intruder who had come to harm his wife. He tried to push him away, but Ganesha resisted. A fierce fight broke out between them, with Ganesha using his intelligence and courage to match Shiva’s strength and power.
They fought for a long time, and made a lot of noise. The other gods and goddesses heard the commotion, and came to see what was going on. They recognized Ganesha as Parvati’s son, and tried to stop the fight. They told Shiva that Ganesha was his own son, and that he should not harm him. But Shiva did not listen to them. He was too angry and proud to admit his mistake.
He decided to end the fight once and for all. He took out his trident, which was his most powerful weapon, and threw it at Ganesha’s head with full force. The trident cut off Ganesha’s head from his body, and killed him instantly.
When Parvati heard the sound of her son’s death, she came out of her bath and saw the terrible sight. She saw her son lying dead on the ground, with his head severed from his body. She saw her husband standing there with his trident in his hand. She realized what had happened, and felt a surge of grief and anger.
She cursed Shiva for killing her son, and threatened to destroy the whole creation if her son was not brought back to life. She also unleashed her fierce form as Shakti, the goddess of power, and summoned all her female energies to assist her.
Shiva realized his mistake, and felt sorry for what he had done. He tried to calm Parvati down, and promised to bring Ganesha back to life. But there was a problem. The head of Ganesha had been flung far away by Shiva’s trident, and could not be found. Shiva then ordered his ganas to find the head of any creature that was sleeping with its head facing north, which was considered auspicious.
The ganas searched everywhere, but could only find an elephant that matched the criteria. They cut off its head and brought it to Shiva.
Shiva then placed the elephant head on Ganesha’s body and revived him with his divine power. He also declared that Ganesha would be the first god to be worshipped in any ritual or ceremony, and that he would be the remover of all obstacles for his devotees. He also blessed him with many other boons and gifts, making him one of the most revered gods in Hinduism.
Parvati was overjoyed to see her son alive again, and embraced him with love. She also forgave Shiva for his act, and they reconciled their differences. The other gods and goddesses also celebrated the rebirth of Ganesha, and praised his virtues and glory.
This is how Lord Ganesha was born with an elephant head, according to one version of the story. There are many other stories that explain his origin, attributes, and adventures, but they all agree on one thing: he is a benevolent and beloved god who bestows wisdom, success, and good luck on those who worship him with faith and devotion.
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