One day, Goddess Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva, wanted to take a bath. To ensure her privacy, she fashioned a boy out of clay and breathed life into him.
She instructed the boy to guard the entrance and not let anyone in while she bathed.

Lord Shiva returned home later. When he tried to enter, the boy stood firm and refused to let him in, as per his mother’s orders. Shiva, unaware that the boy was his own son, became angry. After multiple attempts to enter and several warnings, Shiva, in a fit of anger, struck off the boy’s head with his trident (Trishul).

When Parvati emerged and saw what had happened, she was furious. She revealed that the boy was her son and demanded that Shiva bring him back to life. Shiva realized his mistake and promised to restore the child. Shiva sent his divine followers, the Ganas, to find the first living being they could and bring back its head. The first creature they encountered was a mighty elephant, so they took its head and brought it back to Shiva. He placed the elephant’s head on the boy’s body and revived him, thus bringing Ganesha back to life. To pacify Parvati, Shiva declared that Ganesha would be revered before the start of any new venture, ensuring success and removing obstacles.