Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first known stone image of Ganesha was discovered in the ruins north of Kabul and dates to the 4th century. This artifact marks the earliest physical evidence of the deity, although the god likely emerged from Indian religious history much earlier as a minor figure or tribal deity.
According to the Shiva Purana, the goddess Parvati created a boy from turmeric paste to guard her door, and the god Shiva severed the boy's head in a fit of rage. Shiva then restored the boy's life by attaching the head of the first living creature he found, which was an elephant.
The broken tusk known as Ekadanta symbolizes sacrifice and the ability to overcome duality. Some texts state the tusk was broken when Ganesha used it as a pen to write the epic Mahabharata, highlighting his role as the scribe of the universe.
In 1893, the Indian nationalist leader Lokmanya Tilak transformed the private family worship of Ganesha into the grand public festival known as Ganesh Chaturthi. Tilak organized large public processions to build grassroots unity against British rule, creating a shared space for political protest and cultural celebration.
In Indonesia, Ganesha is not worshipped as a god but is used as a symbol of knowledge and education. He appears on the logos of public universities and was featured on the country's banknotes between 1998 and 2008.
The Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana, composed between the 11th and 17th centuries, describe Ganesha with two, four, or sixteen arms holding attributes like an axe, goad, noose, and bowl of sweets. These texts also detail a serpent around his neck, a third eye on his forehead, and a crescent moon.