 This
is the story of one of the most beloved characters in
Indian lore, made accessible for Western children ages
6 to 9 . It is illustrated throughout with paintings
from the classic Indian tradition, of which some can
be seen on this Ganesha
page.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 of
A Marriage Made in Heaven and lives in Vermont with
her husband and son. The artist of this book, Pieter
Weltevrede, began his artistic studies with Harish
Johari in 1977 and also studied with Shri Chandra
Bal.. He lives in Holland with his wife and two
children and travels to India annually. |
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