Description
Ganesha (also Ganesh or Ganapati Tantra) is the elephant-headed deva in the Hindu pantheon. He is the god of knowledge and wisdom, remover of obstacles, and patron saint of travelers. Hindus pray to Ganesha before starting something new, such as a new job or when moving. Ganesha is the son of Shiva and Parvati. His vahana, or vehicle, is a mouse or rat named Mushika. Even as a young man, Ganesha wanted to be left alone and preferred to be alone. For this reason, and because Shiva went off to war, Shiva didn't have the opportunity to get to know his son well. After years of fighting, Shiva returns to Parvati (his wife) and Ganesha (his son). Because Shiva was not allowed into his wife's abode, he became angry and cut off the head of Ganesha—whom he hadn't recognized as his son. But it was already too late when he saw that the intruder was actually his own son, whom he hadn't recognized at first glance because he'd seen so little of him. Shiva ordered his servants to bring him the head or heads of the first living creature they encountered, and they returned with the severed head of an elephant (Airavata). Shiva attached the elephant's head to the lifeless body of his son, who was resurrected and would go down in history as the elephant-headed demigod. There are many different depictions of Ganesha, each with different attributes. He is usually depicted with a large, bare belly, pinkish-orange skin, a rat at his feet, and, of course, an elephant's head. The rat (which is noticeably small) is his personal vehicle (vahana). Sometimes he has a symbol resembling a "3" between his eyes (above his trunk), the symbol for Om or Aum: the sound (vibration) from which the universe originated. Ganesha is said to have written the Mahabharata. A statue of him often stands at forks in the road in India, guiding travelers as they make a choice and embark on a new path. Ganesha always represents the beginning of something, the initial impulse.
Lava Stone
Lava is rock in liquid form. Once magma reaches the Earth's surface or the seabed, it is called lava. Due to differences in magma composition, outflow rate, temperature, and chemical and mineralogical composition, there are several types of lava, each with its own behavior and characterized by a porous structure. Lava can have a destructive effect, but at the same time, it also has a creative effect. For instance, new land can be formed by lava; this is how the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean were formed. Furthermore, cooled lava—after several centuries of weathering—is very fertile and can therefore be used effectively as agricultural land. The word 'lava' originates from the Italian language and is likely derived from the Latin word labes, which refers to the sliding or gliding of lava. The word was first used in its current meaning by Francesco Serao, a professor of medicine at the University of Naples, when he described the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the period from May 14 to June 4, 1737. Serao believed that lava was a mixture of sand and earth that had been melted by the heat of the volcanic fire. He described “a stream of fiery lava” in comparison to the water and mud that flow down the volcano after heavy rain. Cooling viscous lava often accumulates in a volcanic shaft. Due to this blockage and the presence of gases in the lava, pressure builds up in the shaft. Eventually, an eruption occurs, producing large clouds of volcanic ash and gas, as well as pyroclastic flows. The most explosive eruptions are followed by a quieter period during which lava is expelled. If the lava is rich in silica, a slowly growing lava dome forms—a large, cushion-like structure full of cracks and fissures. The top and edges of a lava dome are usually covered with rock fragments, breccia, and ash. The hardened rock that forms from lava is called extrusive rock. The appearance and composition of different extrusive rocks vary greatly. If a lava flow of rhyolite cools rapidly, it can become obsidian. However, if it is filled with gas bubbles, it can also become pumice. If the same lava cools slowly, it becomes a light-colored solid rock simply called rhyolite.
