Once Lord Shiva went to forest for atonement leaving Parvati behind all alone at home. Parvati decided to take bath one day but was worried as there was no one around her to look after the house and stop anyone to enter the house. There for she created a boy from the sandal paste applied on her body and permeate life into it. She instructed the boy to stand at the door and not to allow anyone enter the house. The boy with respect and dutifully followed the order of Parvati and stopped everyone to enter the house.
Soon Lord Shiva returned home. He was very surprised to see a stranger denying him to enter the house. Lord Shiva lost his patience and strike off the boy’s head with his Trishula. When Pravati came out, she broke down in pain seeing headless body of the boy. She asked Lord Shiva to reinstate the boy life but unfortunately the head was tossed very far by the power of Trishula. Lord Shiva realize his mistake and order his celestial armies “Gana” to get the head of first living being he come across, But its head should must be facing north.
Gana without delayed rushed to jungle and found a sleeping elephant facing north. They cut off his head and handed it to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva fixes the head on the body and infused life into him. Lord Shiva made him the leader of his celestial army. From there on he was named as Ganapati, head of the celestial army was supposed to be worshiped first by everyone before starting any new venture.
