Shiva set on a southward journey, in the quest of a head. He wandered here and there, but could not find any human head that would fit Ganesha’s body. Suddenly, he found a recently severed head of an elephant’s calf. Thinking that it would be just what he needed, Shiva picked the severed head up and turned back towards Mount Kailash. How Ganesha got an elephant’s head is explained in various stories. According to a legend, the elephant’s head was one of the several heads of Airavat. Airavat, a magnificent elephant, produced by the churning of the Ocean of Milk, was the mount of Indra, the King of gods. This head was offered to Shiva by Indra to help him out of his difficulty. Indra had met sage Durvasa who had offered him a celestial garland. Indra accepted it and put it on the trunk of Airavat. But Airavat was irritated by its smell and threw it to the ground. An enraged Durvasa cut off Airavat’s head. And he offered the head to Shiva.
Ganesha Gets an Elephant’s Head
