Ganesh Chaturthi

Goddess Parvati moulded a boy from sandalwood paste and breathed life into him to stand guard at her door. Shiva, returning, was stopped — and in anger severed the boy's head. Seeing Parvati's grief, Shiva replaced the head with that of an elephant calf and granted the boy primacy among the devas. He became Ganapati, Vighnaharta — first to be worshipped.

Ganesha is invoked at the start of every undertaking. The ten-day festival, popularised by Lokmanya Tilak as a public gathering, blends private puja with community spirit.