| t-headed Ganesh, Hindu's most renowned God, is a | | | | personalities. Ganesh is comfortably tubby, warm, and |
| study in contrast. He is held in awe and reverence as | | | | patience personified; brother Karthikeya is all radiant |
| a strong force who removes barriers in people's lives. | | | | energy and an impulsive lad. Ganesha has the lowly |
| But Ganesha also summons a very down-to-earth | | | | mouse as his vehicle while Karthikeya prefers the |
| affection. Some of this warmth originates from his | | | | flashy peacock. |
| direct involvement in our everyday lives and from the | | | | Like many Hindu sagas, stories of the |
| mythological tales about him and his family. The | | | | Ganesh-Kartikeya interactions are possessed of a |
| legends about Ganesha depict him as a committed | | | | innocent simplicity, yet imbued with lessons for human |
| son and a affectionate brother. | | | | race. One time, a mango infused with divine knowledge |
| There's no Hindu grandmother who doesn't love | | | | was brought to Mount Kailas in the Himalayas, where |
| reciting the story of Ganesh's parentage and birth. | | | | Shiva and Parvati hold court. Since only one individual |
| Many versions abound, but here's the popular one. | | | | could consume the fruit, a competition was suggested |
| Officially, Ganpati's father is Lord Shiva the Destroyer, | | | | between their two sons - whosoever |
| one of the holy trinity in the Hindu pantheon, a rather | | | | circumambulated the earth thrice and returned first |
| fearsome figure with matted locks and an | | | | would win the mango. Confident that his peacock |
| ash-smeared body who spends eons meditating in the | | | | would outrace Ganesha's mouse, Kartikeya went off |
| Himalayas. Parvati, his divine wife, presides over all of | | | | into space. Ganesha, on the other hand, simply folded |
| creation. Without her, the earth would be barren and | | | | his hands in prayer and walked around his seated |
| perennially cold. During her husband's extended | | | | parents, returning to his starting point ahead of |
| absence, Parvati created a young boy for herself | | | | Kartikeya. His reasoning? Shiva and Parvati contain the |
| from a dollop of clay - none other than Ganesha. | | | | world within them; walking around his parents is |
| When Shiva, incognizant of his 'son's' existence, | | | | equivalent to actually going around the earth. He won |
| returned back, Ganesh refused him from access to | | | | the mango, but then magnanimously offered it to his |
| Parvati, who was bathing and had directed her son to | | | | sulking brother. |
| guard against intruders. Shiv, whose rage could shatter | | | | There are contradictory views regarding the marital |
| the universe, chopped off the child's head. When he | | | | status of Ganesha. Some regions of India worships |
| realized his mistake, he replaced the boy's head with | | | | Ganesha as a bachelor while the rest of India |
| that of an elephant. Shiva also granted Ganesha a | | | | worships him along with his two consorts. Ganesha is |
| boon - that he would be worshipped before the start | | | | thought to be married to Siddhi (spiritual strength) and |
| of any earthly enterprise. Notwithstanding this dramatic | | | | Buddhi (intellect) - the daughters of Brahma the |
| event in childhood, Ganesh grew up to be regarded as | | | | Creator - one of the holy trinity in the Hindu pantheon. |
| the epitome of filial devotion. | | | | This is popularly taken to mean that where Ganesh is |
| Hindu mythology has few stories about Ganesh and | | | | present, intellectual acumen and spirituality will follow. |
| his younger brother, Karthikeya. Where Ganesh is | | | | Legend also has it that Kartikeya grew up to marry |
| revered all over India, Karthikeya's presence is | | | | Valli, a tribal maiden and Devayani, the daughter of |
| predominant in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, | | | | Indra, the wind god. However, he is widely worshipped |
| where he is also known as Murugan, Subramanya or | | | | as a child-god possessed of a warrior's skills, one who |
| Arumugham. You couldn't find two more contrasting | | | | protects his devotees against all harm. |