The core portion is called "Jaya" not Bhaduri <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->.
AS, if you go to Livermore Temple and ask about the Satyanarayna Puja (SP) they have a booklet. The Katha portion forms part of the Puja.
BTW, it is said that SP is the most adaptive of all the pujas. It was formulated to be accessible to the aam janata and can be performed by anyone and any time with or without the pujari. It was developed for the historical age.
The kathas illustrate the 'catholic' nature of the puja. If you know Telugu, NTR acted in a film about the SP and might get it on VHS tape.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The core portion is called "Jaya" not Bhaduri smile.gif.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That is what I have heard too. The evolution of the text from "Jaya" to "Bharata" to "Maha Bharata". But what I did was I directly quoted from the Mahabharata text (english translation).
<!--QuoteBegin-SwamyG+May 4 2007, 09:20 PM-->QUOTE(SwamyG @ May 4 2007, 09:20 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Kidding apart, why not let Ashok, Husky, Bodhi, Shiv, Hauma etc write, and if people like to read them and follow them so be it. It has both pros and cons. People who want to criticize Hinduism would pick the parts written badly, or by "evil" people to say "Look, Hinduism is disgusting". But some people are going to pick up the other invigorating parts and glorify them.
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SwamyG,
That was not what I meant.
I of course welcome writings by all and sundry about hinduism from "their" perspective. My complaint was regarding giving an artificial "Agama" kind of form.
Let me recall here that hinduism has two types of "revealed" literature, nigama (vedas or shruti in general) and Agama (many tantras). They both supposedly came directly from the divine, and are attributed as such, and are held in particular reverence.
In the case of shaiva "Agama" literature, shiva answers questions posed by shakti. This is where the "black-magicians" have played havoc. If they had written texts claiming them to be product of their own fertile minds, then it wouldn't be an issue. But attributing some truly horrendous texts (e.g. some prescibing human child sacrifice etc) to shiva himself is a first class chicanery. These are the texts that need to be evaluated and culled.
When I was 18 or so, in college and in the course of a serious conversation with friends, a classmate of mine (Venky) gave us a lecture on Hinduism. Venky was (and is) a great guy - he now runs a private hospital of his own in a small Tamil Nadu town.
Venky must either have had coaching from some Guru, or he was precocious. What he told us about being a Hindu on that day - at a time when we were boys out of school has stayed in my mind for more than three decades and over this time I have not found anything to dispute hat he told us that evening.
He told us that Hinduism is the greatest religion there is because of the choices it gives you. He said that as a Hindu, you can choose to live your life in three different ways or any mixture of these three routes.
One route he said was that of a karma yogi, accepting the duties and conduct that are expected of a man in his life and performing them faithfully. These include the four phases of a man's life to be lives as a brahmanchari -a student who respects his elders and teachers, a grihasta who works for a living marries and has children and does his duty to his wife and children, and the last two phases vanaprastha and sanyasa.
Another route is one of devotion to God and doing everything in life as an act of devotion to God.
A third route is to understand the nature of the absolute and to understand that God is within oneself and aim for self realization that gives you release from the bonds of here and now to become a supreme being who will be a positive force while on earth.
In all these years I have not found fault with a description that made a mark on my mind decades ago. I have tried to live my life using a mixture of these three paths.
The reason I write this is that based on this rough description and some other facts - I am going to build up a profile of who is a Hindu.
One must be aware that countless Hindus, would, consider themselves as Hindus because they were born in to a Hindu family. Period. They know nothing about 3 margams.
In essence, a Hindu profile should address Hindus who have not read their scriptures, who do not know their traditions, if they follow some of their traditions they do not know the Whys, Whats etc.
The number of Hindus who know in depth about "their way of life" is significantly less compared to the total number of Hindus.
In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not
Hinduism is a way of living according to the one's understanding of principles of Vedas and Upanishads. Veda is revealed knowledge. Just as the knowledge of gravity was revealed to Newton, similarly, in India, many Rishis or Seers were awakened to certain transcendental Eternal Truths. These Rishis realized that their real nature was not concerned with or linked with 'body or mind', nor was it dependent on sense perceptions, but was in fact identical with the Universal Consciousness.
A Question about the Practice of Hinduism by Neria H. Hebbar, MD
Aarti â Om Jaye Jagdish Hare by Rajender Krishan
About Hinduism by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Acharya Ramanuja & His Qualified Monoism by Dr. CS Shah
Acharya Shankara by Dr. CS Shah
Acharya Vallabha and His Pushti Sampradaya by Dr. CS Shah
Agastya's Gateway by Pradip Bhattacharya
Two Peasants and the Toad by Gilles Schaufelberger
An Alternative Version of the Story of Rama and Sita by Kamesh Aiyer
An Overview of Hinduism by Dr. Laxmi N. Gupta
Another Perception of Reality by Ashish Nangia
Apropos Epic Women: East & West â A Note by Pradip Bhattacharya
Aum â The Sphota by Dr. RK Lahiri, PhD
Bhagavad Gita and Management by M.P. Bhattathiry
Bheel Mahabharata: Ganga Weds a Frog Prince by Satya Chaitanya
Bheel Mahabharata: Kunti and the Birth of the Sun God's Child by Satya Chaitanya
Bheel Mahabharata: The Rape of Draupadi by Satya Chaitanya
Brahma Hurls, Vishnu Plays, Shiva Terminates by Rajender Krishan
Brahma: The God with Only Three Temples by Aparna Chatterjee
Brahman, Atman, Karma and Gunas by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Caste and Karma by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Caste System in Hinduism: A Historical and Analytical Approach by Dr. RK Lahiri, PhD
Chanchala Lakshmi: The Restless One! by Aparna Chatterjee
Constancy of Souls by J. Ajith Kumar
Cultural Exchange & Globalization by Dr. CS Shah
Customs and Classes of Hinduism by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Dakshya Yajna and Kali by Pradip Bhattacharya
Defending Hinduism by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Definition & relevance of Advaita Vedanta by Dr. CS Shah
Desire : The Root of All Misery by Pradip Bhattacharya
Desire Under the Kalpataru by Pradip Bhattacharya
Dharma: The Most Ambiguous of all Words by Dr. Saroj Thakur
Dilemma in Advaita Vedanta by Dr. CS Shah
Do Hindus Believe in More Gods than One? by Dr. R.K. Lahiri
Do They Speak ... These Statues? by Pradip Bhattacharya
Does Hinduism Teach That All Religions Are The Same? by Dr. Frank G. Morales, Ph.D
The Sword of Kali by Chittaranjan Naik
Draupadi: An Incarnation of Bhumi Devi - Planet Earth by Avin Deen
Draupadi - Satyabhama Samvada by Indrajit Bandyopadhyay
Draupadi the Godess and Bhisma's ... by Pradip Bhattacharya
Draupadi's Pride Crushed by Pradip Bhattacharya
Enigmas in the Mahabharata by Pradip Bhattacharya
Essence of the Gita by Dr. CS Shah
Ethics of Hinduism by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Gandhari: A Curse and a Prayer by Satya Chaitanya
Gayatri Meditation by M.P Bhattathiry
Guru Puja - Its Divine Command by Sushil Kumar Vasudeva
Guru: The Spiritual Teacher by Dr. CS Shah
Heterodox Systems of Sanatana Dharma by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Hidimba: The unacknowledged Heroine of the Mahabharata by Dr. Saroj Thakur
Hindu Gods, Deities and Spirits by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Hindu Worship: A Brief History by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Hinduism : An Overview by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
History and Development of Indian Philosophy by NH Hebbar, M.D
Horse with a Horn by Dr. Prema Nandakumar
Holy Mother Ma Saradadevi by Dr. CS Shah
How Many Lives Does One Live? by Suprobhat Bhattacharya
Importance of Storytelling in Sanatana Dharma by Aurpon Bhattacharya
In Defense of Hinduism â Would Rama Mind? by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Interpreting Influence by Rajender Krishan
Introduction to Gita by Dr. CS Shah
Introduction to Isha Upanishad by Dr. CS Shah
Introduction to Katha Upanishad by Dr. CS Shah
Jabali - Free Thinker Par Excellence by Pradip Bhattacharya
Kabir - The Mystic Poet
Kaikeyi: Ram Ke Mangeela Banvas by Satya Chaitanya
Kaikeyi - Understood At Last by Pradip Bhattacharya
Kali Mantra : The Ultimate Remedy by KK
Karma: Electable, Immutable, Inexorable by Pradip Bhattacharya
Karma Yoga â Yoga of Selfless Action... by Dr. CS Shah
Karna and Arjuna by Dr. Madhu Guptan
Karna's Father Found by by Indrajit Bandyopadhyay
Know Your Karma by Neria Harisha Hebbar, MD
Krishna: A Study in Transformational Leadership by Satya Chaitanya
Leadership and Managing Power: Insights from Mahabharata by Pradip Bhattacharya
Life After Death by Anjali Gupta
Love Stories from the Mahabharata by Pradip Bhattacharya
Mahabharata â As the Curtain of Death Falls by Satya Chaitanya
Mahabharata â Odes to Red Blood and Savage Death by Satya Chaitanya
Mahabharata â The Harvest of Hatred by Satya Chaitanya
Mahisasura-Mardini: The Sacred Narrative of Durga Ma by Aparna Chatterjee
Mantra Understood by KK
Marutta: A Lesson in Character for our Times by Satya Chaitanya
Modern Black Hole Theory & Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva by Tom Beal
Modern Hinduism by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Namaste' by Rajender Krishan
Nasadia â The Creation Hymn of Rig Veda by Wendy O'Flaherty
Narada and the Illusion of Maya by Aparna Chatterjee
Nine Reasons Why Rama Endures... by Bhagwat K. Shah
Nothingness And Reality by Naveen Jagan
Om Tat Sat by Rajender Krishan
Oneness in Hinduism by Dr. Madan Lal Goel
Our Scientific Heritage by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Panchali - Beloved of the 5 Pandavas by Brig. Shekar Sen
Panchkanya : Women of Substance by Pradip Bhattacharya
Panchkanya of the Indian Epics : A Critique by Saroj Thakur
Panchaknya Seminar News
Physics to Metaphysics by Naveen Jagan
Practical Vedanta by Dr. CS Shah
Present Day Religion in India by Dr. CS Shah
Purana Pravesh by Pradip Bhattacharya
Questions of Self & Consciousness by Ashish Nangia
Rama : Portrait of the Prince as a Prisoner of Darkness by Satya Chaitanya
Rama's Equanimity: Myth and Reality by Satya Chaitanya
Rama's Night of Truth under the Banyan Tree by Satya Chaitanya
Ramakrishna Paramhansa by Dr. CS Shah
Reincarnation by Dimpy Sahni
Reformer Wanted: Hinduism at crossroads in India by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Reforms in Hindu Caste System by J. Ajith Kumar
Sanatana Dharma and Hinduism by Dr. RK Lahiri, Ph.D
Scriptures of Sanatana Dharma by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Science and Vedanta by Dr. CS Shah
Science of Reincarnation by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Science of Values by Dr. CS Shah
Secret of Productive Work by Swami Ganeswarananda
Secularism and Freedom of Religion by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Self Experience is Possible â Here and Now by Sushil Kumar Vasudeva
Shad-Darshana by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Shree Ganeshaye Namaha by Aparna Chatterjee
Shiva Becomes Ardhanarishwara by Satya Chaitanya
Sita: Dheere Chal, Ham Haaree E Raghubar by Satya Chaitanya
Sitaji â The Ideal Mother by Bhagwat K. Shah
Spirit of Indian Philosophy by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa by Dr. CS Shah
Stories from Mahabharata by Dr. CS Shah
Stories from Ramayana by Dr. CS Shah
Students and Ganesha by Rajender Krishan
Swami Vivekananda by Dr. CS Shah
Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament of Religions by Dr. CS Shah
Swami Vivekananda and Madam Calve by Dr. CS Shah
Swami Vivekananda : The Universal Man by Dr. CS Shah
The Caste and Religious Conflicts by Dr. CS Shah
The Concept of Kundalini Shakti by Dr. CS Shah
Sadhna or Method (Worship, Rites, Rituals, etc) by Dr. CS Shah
The Kundalini Shakti or the Coiled Up Energy by Dr. CS Shah
The Disciple by Dr. CS Shah
The Gita For the Beginners by Dr. CS Shah
The Hindu View on Cosmogony by Dr. R.K. Lahiri
The Inner Script and Sri Ramakrishna by Indrajit Bandyopadhyay
The Inspiration of Bankimchandra's Anand Math by Pradip Bhattacharya
The Magic of Mantra by Rajender Krishan
The Mahabharata as I Remember it by Saroj Thakur
The Mahabharata as Theatre by Pradip Bhattacharya
The Myths of Meditation! by Tom Beal
The Name "Aparna" â Its Mythological Meaning in Hindu Religion by Aparna Chatterjee
The Necessity/Problems of holding on to Spirituality by Dr. CS Shah
The Principal Upanishads by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
The problem of Janani janmabhumishca in Anand Math by Pradip Bhattacharya
The Question of Truth and Yogic Practice by Ashish Nangia
The Seer and the Self by Ashish Nangia
The Spirit of Indian Philosophy by Dr. R.K. Lahiri, Ph.D
The Story of Lalita Devi by Pradip Bhattacharya
The Third Dice Game by Pradip Bhattacharya
The Three Great Acharyas by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
The Vedic Quest concerning the Universe, Space and Time by Dr. Rati Saxena
Truth in Scriptures by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
Understanding Mahabharata: A Woman's Fury, Soft Skills and a Hero by Satya Chaitanya
Understanding Mahabharata: The Puzzle of Pandu by Satya Chaitanya
Understanding Mahabharata: The Silencing of Draupadi by Satya Chaitanya
Understanding Mahabharata: Vyasa-Witness to Self, Witness to Life by Satya Chaitanya
Understanding Mahabharata: Yudhishthira: A Game of Dice with Dharma Satya Chaitanya
Variations in Indonesian Mahabharata by by Indrajit Bandyopadhyay
Vedanta and Devotion by Dr. CS Shah
Vedanta and Modernity by Dr. CS Shah
Vedanta and Science by Dr. CS Shah
Vedanta, Privilege and Ethics by Dr. CS Shah
Vritra's Last Wish by Indrajit Bandyopadhyay
Was Draupadi Disrobed in the Dice Hall of Hastinaputra? by Satya Chaitanya
Was Draupadī ever disrobed? by Pradip Bhattacharya
Web of Love by Anil K. Rajvanshi
What are Puranas? Are They Myths? by Dr. R.K. Lahiri, Ph.D
What Hindus Ought To Know! by Govindarajan Padman
What is Hinduism by Ed Viswanathan
Word as Weapon by Dr. Frank G. Morales
Yoga by Mohan Dadlani
Yoga â An Introduction by Ashish Nangia
Yoga Nidra â A Yogic Practice by Dr. CS Shah
<!--QuoteBegin-SwamyG+May 4 2007, 05:11 PM-->QUOTE(SwamyG @ May 4 2007, 05:11 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The core portion is called "Jaya" not Bhaduri smile.gif.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That is what I have heard too. The evolution of the text from "Jaya" to "Bharata" to "Maha Bharata". But what I did was I directly quoted from the Mahabharata text (english translation).
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Here is Subash Kak on Jaya ->Bharata-> Mahabharata
<!--QuoteBegin-ramana+May 8 2007, 11:46 PM-->QUOTE(ramana @ May 8 2007, 11:46 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-SwamyG+May 4 2007, 05:11 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SwamyG @ May 4 2007, 05:11 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The core portion is called "Jaya" not Bhaduri smile.gif.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That is what I have heard too. The evolution of the text from "Jaya" to "Bharata" to "Maha Bharata". But what I did was I directly quoted from the Mahabharata text (english translation).
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Here is Subash Kak on Jaya ->Bharata-> Mahabharata
This dating the Mahabharata and the sequencing of Harappa is a crucial part of Hindu narrative.
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Prof. R.N.Iyengar has written a very illuminating work on the Internal Consistency of Eclipses and Planetary positions in Mahabharata, where in he states it is possible to objectively establish some of the natural phenomena such as earthquakes, meteriote impacts, floods and famines in the time frame 1493BC-1443BC.
Regarding astronomical dating, many scholars of Mithraism have connected the "Mithraic tauroctony scene" (Mithra slaying the bull), to the constellation of Orion/Taurus. They also imply that the age when Mithraism arose must have had special astronomical significance for the Orion/Taurus constellation.
B.G. Tilak had identified astronomical significance of "mR^igashira" (Orion) in Rgveda and had claimed that the earliest parts of Rgveda could be as early as 5000BC.
Even Mithraism scholars propose dates upto 4000BC for the Tauroctony scene.
Vernal/spring equinox happened in Taurus at about 4500BC.
In Vedas Mithra or mitra is a solar deity. Mitra or Sun slaying the bull perhaps meant Sun crossing through mR^igashira/Orion/Taurus region during an equinox.
This is an external corroboration of old age of Rgvedic deities.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Here is an extract from Sri Aurobindo, where he powerfully emphasises the course India must take in order to fulfil its role & mission:
  <b>India of the ages is not dead nor has she spoken her last creative word; she lives and has still something to do for herself and the human peoples. And that which must seek now to awake is not an anglicised oriental people, docile pupil of the West and doomed to repeat the cycle of the Occident's success and failure, but still the ancient immemorable Shakti recovering her deepest self, lifting her head higher towards the supreme source of light and strength and turning to discover the complete meaning and a vaster form of her Dharma.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sri Aurobindo and Mother on Sri Ganesha:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In his letters Sri Aurobindo writes:
  <b>Ganesha is the Power that removes obstacles by the force of Knowledge;â¦
  Ganesha (among other things) is the Devata of spiritual Knowledge.</b>
Here is the Mother's first encounter with Lord Ganesha, as narrated by herself sometime during 1958:
<b>And one day when the subject of prosperity or wealth came up, I thought (they always say that Ganesh is the god of money, of fortune, of the world's wealth), I thought, 'Isn't this whole story of the god with an elephant trunk merely a lot of human imagination?'Â
  Thereupon, we meditated. And who should I see walk in and park himself in front of me but a living being, absolutely alive and luminous, with a trunk that long ... and smiling! So then, in my meditation, I said, 'Ah! So it's true that you exist!' - 'Of course I exist! And you may ask me for whatever you wish, from a monetary standpoint, of course, and I will give it to you!'</b>
    So I asked. And for about ten years, it poured in, like this (gesture of torrents). It was incredible. I would ask, and at the next Darshan, or a month or several days later, depending, there it was.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Ashok Kumar+May 9 2007, 11:22 PM-->QUOTE(Ashok Kumar @ May 9 2007, 11:22 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Here is the Mother's first encounter with Lord Ganesha, as narrated by herself sometime during 1958:
<b>And one day when the subject of prosperity or wealth came up, I thought (they always say that Ganesh is the god of money, of fortune, of the world's wealth), I thought, 'Isn't this whole story of the god with an elephant trunk merely a lot of human imagination?'Â
  Thereupon, we meditated. And who should I see walk in and park himself in front of me but a living being, absolutely alive and luminous, with a trunk that long ... and smiling! So then, in my meditation, I said, 'Ah! So it's true that you exist!' - 'Of course I exist! And you may ask me for whatever you wish, from a monetary standpoint, of course, and I will give it to you!'</b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Here is the Mother's first encounter with Lord Ganesha, as narrated by herself sometime during 1958:
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Who is 'Mother'?
<!--QuoteBegin-Viren+May 10 2007, 08:45 AM-->QUOTE(Viren @ May 10 2007, 08:45 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Here is the Mother's first encounter with Lord Ganesha, as narrated by herself sometime during 1958:
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Who is 'Mother'?
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Mother of Aurobindo Ashram. She ran the ashram after Sri aurobindo retired into seclusion and after his death.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Mother on Mother-India as a Goddess
<b>India is not the earth, rivers and mountains of this land, neither is it a collective name for the inhabitants of this country .India is a living being, as much living as, say, Shiva. India is a goddess. If she likes, she can manifest in human form. In the whole creation the earth has a place of distinction, because unlike any other planet it is evolutionary with a psychic entity at its centre. In it, India, in particular,is a divinely chosen country.
India ought to be the spiritual leader of the world. Inside she has the capacity, but outside. ..for the moment there is still much to do for her to become actually the spiritual leader of the world.There is such a wonderful opportunity just now! </b>
Sri Aurobindo (Bande mataram-I6 April1907)
<b>Ours is the eternal land, the eternal people, the eternal religion, whose strength, greatness, holiness may be overclouded but never, even for a moment, utterly cease. The hero, the Rishi, the saint, are the natural fruits of our Indian soil; and there has been no age in which they have not been born.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-sengotuvel+Apr 29 2007, 03:59 AM-->QUOTE(sengotuvel @ Apr 29 2007, 03:59 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Does anyone recall why Lord Shiva has a snake wrapped around his neck, or why his face is blue?
Why does Shiva have a crescent moon depicted over his head?
Why does he have a fountain of water flowing out of the top of his head?
Does anyone recall how Ganesha came into being?
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I was back in India last couple of weeks. Here is what I remember from the stories narrated by my grandmother:
Shiva's blue face - During the samudra manthan (sura and asura were fighting over something and they decided to churn the ocean. The instrument that was used was the Mandar parvat and they used vasuki (a serpent) to tie around the parvat and the two sides churned the ocean vigorously. One of the products of the churning was 'halaahal' an extremely potent poison. In order to destroy the poison Lord Shiva drank it which turned his body (in my narrative it was just the neck and face) blue.
The fountain of water is river Ganga.
Chandamama magazine used to have several serial stories that explained many of the Hindu folklore.
About Ganesha, again reverting back to my Grandma's narrative:
Lord Shiva was itinerant and this caused boredom to his consort Parvati. So she made an earthen idol of a little boy and put life in it. She appointed him to guard the entrance to her chamber when she went to take a bath. Just then Lord Shiva appeared and was promptly denied entrance by the little boy. In a fit of rage Lord Shiva beheaded the boy. Upon hearing this Parvati became disconsolate and wanted the boy back. Lord Shiva instructed his disciples (ganas) to find the first head (I don't remember if it was the head of a living being or a dead one and also why the severed head could not be put back). The ganas found an elephant head and Lord Shiva bestowed life on the boy with an elephant head - Lord Ganesh.
BhagIratha, one of the forefathers of SrI Rama, had performed great austerities (tapasyA) to bring down gangA river from the heavens to the earth. When his effort finally succeded and gangA agreed to come down to earth, she told that the earth could't withstand the force of her arrival and only Shiva could help. Shiva agreed to help and when gangA descended from the heavens, shiva trapped her in his matted hair (jatA). This slowed down gangA's descent enough to make it possible for earth to bear the force.
River gangA became important after vedic civilization shifted away from the sarasvatI-sindhu region to gangA-yamunA region.
The story of bhagIratha hints that gangA's descent from the himAlaya may not have been completely natural. Bhagiratha's "tapasyA" was perhaps his human effort to open up the way for gangA to flow down to the Indian plains. Some people have lauded bhagIratha as a great civil engineer of his time <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
His hard labour is acknowledged in Indian culture and any extremely difficult effort is called a <b>"bhagIratha-prayatna"</b> and river gangA is called <b>bhAgIrathI</b>.
Lowest ranges of himAlaya are called <b>"shivAlika" or hair of shiva"</b>. In shivAlika region gangA meanders around before emerging into the plains of north India.
Before her descent on earth gangA was supposedly living in the heaven on kailAsa mountains, the abode of shiva, in the upper reaches of himAlaya. gangotrI glacier, the source of gangA, currently lies hundreds of miles south of kailAsa/mAnasarovar region. But according to legend gangA emerged from shiva's head in the kailAsa mountain and then got slowed down in shiva's-hair or the shivalika-range before emerging onto the north Indian plains.
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->.