Ganesh's lesson in philosophy
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Your support makes all the difference.Milk-guzzling Ganesh is one of the best loved of Hinduism's 30 million odd gods, writes Tim McGirk in Delhi.
Paunchy and rather comic-looking with his elephant-head and his broken tusk, idols of Ganesh can be found in practically every Indian household or shop.
His preferred mode of transport is by rat, and Ganesh is considered the Lord of Auspicious Beginnings.
Hindu believers usually burn a joss stick in front of their own private Ganesh statue before opening their businesses every morning or embarking on a trip. Before a Hindu turns the ignition key on a new car or enters a freshly-built house, he will first crack open a coconut as an offering to Ganesh.
Ganesh's happy-go-lucky attitude appeals to many Hindus. They see in Ganesh's laughing acceptance of his freakish elephant-head as a lesson, a philosophical stance, that Hindus can apply to shrug off the burden of their own misfortunes.
The story goes that Ganesh's fiery-tempered father, Lord Shiva, saw Ganesh in the forest near where his wife, Parvati, was bathing. Not recognising his son, Lord Shiva chopped off Ganesh's head.
Parvati was understandably upset, and Lord Shiva tried to mollify her by promising to bring their son back to life with the head of whatever creature happened to walk by. Unfortunately, it was an elephant.
Devotees claim that statues of Lord Shiva around the world have also acquired a thirst for milk. Lord Shiva is not your typical family man.
He is also known as the Dancing Lord of Destruction and is most often portrayed as a tangle-haired ascetic with a third eye, a trident and a garland of skulls. He also has a few friendly cobras wrapped around his arms.
His wife, Parvati, is the daughter of the Himalayas, and although beautiful, she was only able to win over Shiva by becoming an ascetic herself. Some Indian scholars think that the cult of Shiva is older than Hinduism itself, which dates back to 2,000 BC.
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