34.5 - Mini-Episode - Ganesh

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Narad Monei introduces the mythological character Ganesh, known by various names like Vinayak and Gajanan. Created by his mother Parvati from clay, Ganesh is revered as the god who comes before others. The episode recounts the tale of Ganesh's beheading by Shiva and his resurrection with an elephant's head. It also touches on the story behind his broken tusk and hints at a connection to the Mahabharat. Listeners are invited to explore more on the podcast's website and social media platforms, with a teaser for an upcoming Assam folk tale about cats giving birth to human children.

Takeaways

• 🎶 Welcome to 'Stories from India', a podcast about Indian myths, legends, and folk tales.
• 🎙️ Hosted by Narad Monei, a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.
• 🪕 Narad Monei is a traveling musician and storyteller who now shares stories through a podcast.
• 🔄 The format of the show has been changed based on listener feedback, with characters of the week featured in separate mini episodes.
• 🐘 The first mini episode features Ganesh, also known as Ganpati, Vinayak, and Gajanan.
• 🪔 Ganesh was created by his mother Parvati from clay, given life, and put on guard duty.
• ⚔️ A misunderstanding led to Shiva, Ganesh's father, beheading him. Shiva later restored Ganesh to life with an elephant's head.
• 🍬 Ganesh is depicted with an elephant head, four hands, and a large belly, symbolizing his love for sweets.
• 🐭 One theory for Ganesh's broken tusk involves a feast, a scared mouse, and an angry Ganesh throwing his tusk at the moon.
• 📖 The podcast provides links to images and episodes for further details on the stories.

Q & A

What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?

The podcast 'Stories from India' is about myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by Narad Monei, a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.

What is the profession of the host, Narad Monei, in the podcast?

Narad Monei is a traveling musician and a storyteller who shares stories through the podcast format.

Why did the podcast format change recently?

The format of the podcast changed to suit the preferences of the listeners, as indicated by their feedback.

Who is the first character introduced in the mini episode?

The first character introduced in the mini episode is Ganesh, also known as Ganpati, Vinayak, and Gajanan.

How was Ganesh created according to the podcast?

Ganesh was created by his mother, Parvati, who made him out of clay, breathed life into him, and put him on guard duty.

What unfortunate event led to Ganesh being beheaded by Shiva?

An unfortunate misunderstanding occurred when Shiva, Ganesh's father, mistook Ganesh for a stranger and beheaded him in a fight.

How was Ganesh restored to life after being beheaded?

After Parvati threatened to destroy the universe, Shiva restored Ganesh to life, but since the original head was beyond recovery, he used an elephant's head instead.

What is the significance of Ganesh having one broken tusk?

The broken tusk has two theories behind it, one involving Ganesh falling and bursting his belly, and the other related to an incident with the moon during the Mahabharat, which will be explained in a later episode.

What is the link provided for listeners who want to see pictures related to the podcast?

Listeners can check out pictures on the site sfipodcast.com.

What is the special episode number where the Ganesh birth and head transplant incident is detailed?

The Ganesh birth and head transplant incident is detailed in the Thanksgiving special episode 6.5 titled 'All in the Family'.

How can listeners stay updated with the podcast and provide feedback?

Listeners can leave comments or reviews on sfipodcast.com, tweet @SFI_podcast, find the host on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the show to get notified of new episodes.