Lood Ganesh

                 Legend tells the tale of Goddess Parvati who made baby Ganesha using sandalwood paste and asked him to guard the entrance while she took a bath. When Lord Shiva wanted to enter, Ganesha would not even allow him to pass through. Lord Shiva, enraged by this, severed the child’s head. When Goddess Parvati realised what had happened, she was overwhelmed and heartbroken. This is when Lord Shiva promised that he would bring baby Ganesha back to life. He went on to instruct his followers (ganas) to search for the head of the first living creature they could find to replace on Ganesha’s body. However, the ganas could only find a baby elephant’s head. That is how Lord Ganesha came back to life with the head of an elephant. Lord Shiva named him the leader of the ganas, or Ganapati.

                 Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi is celebrated across India every month on the fourth day of Shukla Paksha. During Vinayak Chaturthi, millions of devotees worship Lord Ganesha at noon. It is a common belief among Hindus that observing fast on Vinayak Chaturthi or Ganesh Chaturthi brings prosperity to the house.