How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head

The magical story of how Ganesh, the son of Shiva and Parvati, was brought back to life with the head of an elephant

- The story of one of the most beloved characters in Indian lore, made accessible for Western children

- Illustrated throughout with paintings from the classic Indian tradition

Any Indian child can tell you how the beloved god Ganesh got his elephant's head--now American children can know as well. For centuries Indian children have grown up hearing Ganesh's story--how his mother, Parvati (an incarnation of the great mother goddess), created a small boy from sandalwood soap and commanded that he guard the palace against all intruders while she took her bath. How her husband, Shiva (the fearsome god of destruction), didn't take kindly to being barred from his own home. How Shiva beheaded the boy during the cosmic war that followed, but then, when he realized that the balance of the entire universe was at stake, brought the boy back to life by grafting an elephant's head onto his body and made him the people's intercessor against the powers of destruction.

Ganesh's timeless story teaches children about the steadfast power of dedication to duty, the awe-inspiring power of a mother's love for her child, and the gentle power of compassion, which holds the world together. Accompanied by rich, color illustrations prepared according to the traditional Hindu canon, How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head will transport children to a magical world filled with ancient wisdom.

Harish Johari (1934-1999) authored many books that bring Eastern spiritual traditions to Western audiences. Vatsala Sperling, a native of India, was trained in traditional Brahmin religious rites and is fluent in Sanskrit. She is the coauthor ofA Marriage Made in Heaven and lives in Vermont with her husband and son. Pieter Weltevrede, who began his artistic studies with Harish Johari in 1977 and also studied with Shri Chandra Bal, is a social scientist by training. He lives in Holland with his wife and two children and travels to India annually.