Lord Shiva and Parvati lived on the mountain Kailasa. Many times Shiva used to go to the forest and stayed there doing penance for months.Meanwhile Parvati had to stay alone at home.one day,as usual lord shiva went to the forest,leaving Parvati alone at home.Parvati then wanted to take bath.However there was no one else to
look after the house.

So,Parvati was worried.but soon she had an idea.Parvati removed the sandal paste from her body and created a boy from the paste.Parvati then  made the boy stand at the door and instructed him not to let anyone enter the house.till she finishes her bath.

The boy stood at the door and stopped everyone who visited the house.Soon lord Shiva returned  home and was surprised to see a boy who stopped him from entering in."you can not enter the house ,mother is taking bath", said the boy He got annoyed and asked the boy to move aside.but the  boy did not move,but stopped lord Shiva from entering the house.

Shiva lost  his temper and he chopped off the head of the boy with his trishula.Later,Parvati finished her bath and to her surprise, she saw the headless body of the boy.So Parvati started  weeping.Oh my lord ! what have you done !you have killed my son !

Lord Shiva felt very sorry for his short tempered act.Lord Shiva  wished to bring back the boy to his life and he  started searching for the chopped head of the boy.But  surprisingly  the  head got vanished and the search was in vain.So he called  servants,called "Ganas" and told them,to go to the forest and get the head of first living being you come across.

The ganas immidiately rushed to jungle and came across an elephant.they immediately cut off his head and brought it to lord shiva.Lord Shiva put the head on the body of the boy and  brought him to life. Parvati was overjoyed to get back her son.The Ganas had helped to bring back the life of the boy,so he  was named as "Ganapati"