Ganesha: An elephant-headed deity Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, is the most revered god of the Hindu religion most commonly practiced in India. He represents wisdom and the distinction between good and evil and is the leader of the ganas, also known as beings. When Ganesha was created, his creator and/or mother, Parvati had created him out of anger when her husband Shiva's disciples had betrayed her because of their loyalty. Parvati being jealous, she created Ganesha from the dirt of her body to have someone who was faithful to her as her husband. Once Shiva found out about this and Ganesha would not let Shiva pass by to see Parvati, he sent an army to kill Ganesha. This mission failed but soon after, Shiva fought him and beheaded him during their fight. Parvati was furious and Shiva now felt bad for upsetting his wife. In order to strengthen his relationship with Parvati again, two conditions were set, one being that Ganesha would be resurrected and two being that Ganesha would be one of the most revered gods. Both came true. Ganesha was now considered the son of Parvati and Shiva. ("Lord Ganesha: His birth story, meaning and practice of symbolism") Ganesha was one of the two children of Parvati and Shiva, he had another brother named Skanda who represented grace, love of virtuous deeds and bravery. Along with one brother, Ganesha had two wives, Siddhi who represented success and Riddhi who represented prosperity. Ganesha and his wives had no children. Not only does Ganesha himself represent many different qualities, but his body and all its aspects are interpreted in different ways throughout the Hindu religion. Ganesha is considered the “destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride”. His features represent abundance...... middle of paper......." Amma Mata Amritanandamayi Devi RSS. Mata Amritanandamayi Math, August 9, 2000. Web. May 21, 2014. . ("Lord Ganesha: His Story of birth, meaning and practice of symbolism") Pandit, Bansi. “Hindu deities: Lord Ganesha”. Hindu deities: Lord Ganesha. " "Symbolism of Ganesh. " India Parenting Pvt. Ltd., January 1, 1999. Web, May 21, 2014. ("Symbolism of Ganesh") "10 Important Life Lessons from Ganesha." . 2014. Web. May 23, 2014. (“10 Important Life Lessons from Ganesha)..”)