Ganesha, the god of wisdom and the eldest son of Shiva and Parvati, is the remover of obstacles and difficulties and is the most popular of all the domestic deities in India. Resting against a bolster, with his right leg folded and the other touching the ground is Ganesha without his ornate crown. Instead he wears a turban with a simple aigrette and a plume. Ganesha symbolizes the unity of the forest denizen with man, the majesty of the elephant combining with physical energy of the homo-sapiens. The two hands emerge from the torso and hold a lotus and an axe in each hand. Ganesha makes a gesture of blessing with one of the front hands and holds a modak, a sweatmeat, in his other hand; the modak representing abundance. He wears a horizontal tilak on his forehead. The projection of the human limbs, the hands, the fingers, feet and the toes are surprisingly realistic but the elephant head, though well executed seems to have been super imposed as the color of the head is different from the rest of his body. The rat, Ganesha's mount in the foreground, is a symbol of the self, which enjoys all pleasures without concerns about vice or virtue, which to a perfect soul, are illusions. The background is done in green which complements the other colors of the main subject.
This description by Renu Rana.
Click Here to read the Article: Ganesha - the Elephant Headed God, Art and Mythology
For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist