Parvati, the mother of Ganesha, created a young boy out of turmeric paste which she had applied on her body. She breathed life into it, and a little boy was born. When Shiva returned home, the boy, who had never seen Shiva, stopped him from entering. In a fit of rage, Shiva beheaded the boy. When Parvati saw this, she was filled with grief and rage. To pacify her, Shiva replaced the boy’s head with that of the first creature he saw, which was an elephant.