Meet Lord Ganesha: The Elephant God Who Loves Sweets
Learn about Lord Ganesha — the friendly elephant-headed god who removes obstacles, loves modak sweets, and is always worshipped first. A kid-friendly introduction.
Have you ever seen a god with an elephant head? That’s Lord Ganesha — and he’s one of the most loved gods in all of Hindu mythology!
Why Does Ganesha Have an Elephant Head?
Here’s the story: Ganesha’s mother, Goddess Parvati, made a little boy out of sandalwood paste and brought him to life. She asked him to guard the door while she took a bath.
When Lord Shiva came home, the boy wouldn’t let him in! Shiva didn’t know this was his son. After a big mix-up, Shiva gave the boy the head of an elephant — and that’s how Ganesha got his famous look.
Pretty cool, right?
Ganesha’s Favorite Things
Every god has special things that tell us about them. Here are Ganesha’s:
- Modak — Sweet dumplings! Ganesha LOVES them. They’re his absolute favorite snack.
- A mouse — Ganesha rides a tiny mouse named Mushika. Yes, a big elephant-headed god on a tiny mouse!
- A broken tusk — Ganesha broke his own tusk to use as a pen to write a very important story.
Why Do People Pray to Ganesha First?
Whenever anyone in a Hindu family starts something new — a new school year, a new home, a new job — they pray to Ganesha first. That’s because he’s called the Remover of Obstacles. He helps clear the way so things go smoothly.
Starting a test? Think of Ganesha. First day at a new school? Ganesha has your back!
The Race Around the World
One of the best Ganesha stories goes like this: Ganesha and his brother Kartikeya had a contest — who could travel around the whole world first?
Kartikeya jumped on his peacock and zoomed off around the globe. But Ganesha simply walked around his parents, Shiva and Parvati, and said: “You are my whole world.”
Ganesha won the race — not with speed, but with cleverness and love.
Fun Facts About Ganesha
- Ganesh Chaturthi is Ganesha’s birthday festival — families make clay Ganesha statues and celebrate for up to 10 days!
- Ganesha wrote the entire Mahabharata (one of the longest stories ever) while a sage named Vyasa dictated it.
- The round belly? It means Ganesha can digest all the good and bad in the universe.
Explore Ganesha in Our Books
Want to see Ganesha in beautiful, colorful illustrations? The Marvelous Hindu Deities board book brings Ganesha to life with vibrant art perfect for little hands. And My Little Shloka and Mantra Book teaches the special Ganesha mantra: Om Gan Ganapataye Namaha.