Long back i had a cute Ganesha as the wallpaper of my laptop. Every time I would set my screen on my projector during a presentation,He would pop up on the screen for all my clients to see. Once an Arab client jested in utter ignorance "you guys have very funny Gods".

I was a bit offended which made him push me to narrate the story of my elephant headed Ganesha. In brief the story goes like once upon a time Mata Parvati carved an idol of a boy out of turmeric & the dirt of her own body unbeknownst to her husband Lord Shiva.

When Ganesha denied Shiva entry to his own abode as per the order given to him by Parvati to prevent any one from entry while she was bathing, Shiva in his rage decapitated Ganesha's head. Upon knowing from Parvati that it was his own son whose head he severed

& to console his sobbing wife Shiva ordered to bring a head to give life to the deceased body. He replaced Ganesha's head with that of an elephant & breathed life into him again.

My client laughed at this juncture finding the story absurd. Pounded me with many questions

Why did Lord Shiva being an all knowing God severe the head of his own son,when he was protecting her mother? How did he not recognize his own Son? Also, what is the logic of using an elephant's head and not the real head?

Ha ha Obvio he failed to realize the nuance of our Gods.

The figurines of our Gods holds more significance & symbolic meaning than it meets the eye. Ganesha's is one of the most interesting.

Ganesha was created by Parvati alone without the aid of Shiva, the Almighty. His demise signifies no creation can survive without the sanction of the Divine.

Furthermore, He was birthed to life from the grime of Parvati'sbody. "Dirt of Body" here symbolizes ignorance of the mortal that has not attained the unity with Parmatma yet. Hence Ganesha wasn't a deity until Shiva reincarnated Ganesha himself.

Ganesha obstructing the path of Shiva resonates this ignorance. Shiva,The Adi yogi is an epitome of wisdom. Hindering his path signifies ignorance blocking wisdom. Shiva not recognizing his own son implies the transcendent reality which is beyond maya cant relate to the finite.

Head is where the mind resides, upon which the aham/ego feeds. Elephant symbolises wisdom.Shiva the embodiment of wisdom replaces ego with insight. So Ganesha finally incarnated from an ego bound finite body to awakened Guide of the entire Cosmos with divine intervention of Shiva

To worship Ganesha we must become Ganesha.. let go of our outer mind and embrace the unknown higher wisdom of the universe.

I read the entire significance long back as a child. Hence forgot the source.