The Birth of Ganesha

According to a widely told story, the goddess Parvati created a son from turmeric paste and breathed life into him, asking him to guard the entrance to her chamber while she bathed. When Shiva returned and found this unfamiliar boy refusing him entry, a fierce quarrel broke out, and in his fury Shiva severed the boy's head. Parvati's grief was so great that Shiva agreed to restore the boy to life, and sent his attendants to bring back the head of the first creature they found — an elephant. The boy was revived with the elephant's head and named Ganesha, and was declared foremost among the gods, to be worshipped before any undertaking.