Ganesha and His Adventures

How did Ganesha get his elephant head? Why does he ride a tiny mouse? Why do we pray to him before anyone else? Six stories about the god every Indian child grows up loving.

Lessons in this chapter

• How Ganesha Got His Head — Parvati made a son from sandalwood paste. What happened when Shiva came home?
• The Smartest Answer Wins — Ganesha and Kartikeya both wanted the prize. Only one of them figured out the trick.
• Why Ganesha Has a Broken Tusk — He needed a pen. He broke his own tusk. That's how much the story mattered.
• Ganesha and the Laughing Moon — The moon made fun of Ganesha. Big mistake.
• Why Does a God Ride a Mouse? — Ganesha is huge. His vahana is tiny. There's a reason.
• Why We Always Start With Ganesha — Before any puja, before anything new. Ganesha comes first. Here's why.

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