Tale of Vinayagar Chathurthi

Vinayagar Chathurthi means Birth of Vinayagar. Parvathi(Mother Godess) the wife of Lord Shiva was thinking of taking bath but none of Her attendants were there. So, she created  a human figure from unguent and balm. Then with Her power she gave life to the figure. She ordered the human figure to guard the door while she was taking bath. In addition She also told the figure not to allow anyone to enter the home. The figure accepted and followed her orders. While Parvathi was taking bath, Lord Shiva(Husband of Parvathi) after a long Meditation on Mountain Kailash,came to home and  he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access to enter his home. And struck off the boy's head in rage.  Later, He came to know that the boy is Parvathi's creation. For fear of enraging his wife, Shiva ordered his ganas(attendants) to get him the head of the first living creature that they could find. Unfortunately, the Ganas saw an elephant first. Ganas as instructed, chopped the head of the elephant and brought it to Lord Shiva. Then He placed the head on the boy's body and gave him the life back. After bathing Parvathi, came out of the home and she found a boy with an elephant head. She asked who is that boy(in tamil it is called as "pillai yaaru" means who is that boy"). From which Shiva named Parvathi's son as "Pillayar" This elephant-headed god was welcomed into the first family of the Hindu Heavens and named Ganesha or Ganapathi, which literally means the chief of the ganas, or the attendants of Shiva. This brave guardian of the door to Parvathi's bath is beheld today as the most aspicious God of new beginnings.

The story of the birth of this zoomorphic deity, as depicted in the Shiva Purana

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