Ganesha

Ganesha, also called Ganapati and Vighnesha, is the elephant-headed god of beginnings, wisdom and the removal of obstacles. He is shown with an elephant head, a large belly, four arms holding an axe, a noose and a modaka sweet, and a mouse as his mount. He is worshipped across Shaiva, Shakta and Vaishnava traditions. In Odisha, he is invoked before rites and appears over temple doorways, and the Ganesha shrines of Bhubaneswar and Puri are well known. The main observance is Ganesha Chaturthi in Bhadrapada.

According to the Shiva Purana and the Skanda Purana, Ganesha is the son of Shiva and Parvati. In one widely told account, Parvati created him from the paste of her body and set him to guard her door while she bathed. When Shiva was refused entry, he cut off the boy's head. Parvati's grief led Shiva...