The Trunk of Ganesha by Jayant Mahapatra

"The Trunk of Ganesha" is a short story written by Indian author Jayant Mahapatra. It tells the tale of an idol maker who encounters difficulties while crafting an idol of Ganesha, as the trunk of the idol keeps breaking mysteriously. Eventually, the mystery behind this recurring problem is resolved.

"Govinda is a talented idol maker who learned the craft from his father, who, in turn, learned it from his own father. He lives with his wife Sulochana and three sons. While two of his sons are not interested in idol making, his youngest son Ranju is keen to learn the skill from his father. This brings Govinda a lot of happiness."

"Govinda was renowned as the finest idol maker in his valley, which made Sulochana proud of her husband's skill. However, a strange problem began to occur. Whenever Govinda tried to make an idol of Lord Ganesha, its trunk would break mysterious and strangely overnight. They couldn't figure out why this was happening. Govinda considered various reasons. He wondered if there was something wrong with the clay or if the weight of the idol was causing the issue. He even worried that perhaps the gods were angry with him because he had been making the idols too eye-catching or making figures of goddesses too slim. He also questioned if maybe he was charging too much for his idols."

"One day, Govinda decides to solve the mystery once and for all. He and his son hide in the corner of the room where the idol of Ganesha is kept. After finishing the idol, they wait patiently. Ranju falls asleep while waiting. Suddenly, Govinda notices a dark shadow in the window. It moves and jumps on the trunk of Ganesha. It turns out to be a cat that was sliding over Ganesha's trunk at night, causing it to break. Govinda feels relieved to have finally discovered the truth."

Superstition 

"So, the story cleverly concludes with the revelation that the intruder was actually a cat. This story reflects Indian culture, traditions, and superstitions. It shows how people sometimes rely on superstitions rather than logic. They tend to make a big deal out of small things."

So, basically, Jayanta Mahapatra shows how Indians think and behave. Even though they might be educated, they often rely on superstitions instead of logic. This can lead to problems, just like what happens to Govinda in the story.