Vijaya Ganesha

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Vijaya Ganapati is the victorious Lord bestowing success. He rides his mouse that finds a way across otherwise impenetrable mountains. With his mace he crushes impediments; with his noose drags the straying ones to the right path; and with his goad makes the slow ones move faster. He dispels inertness and undoes obstructing forces. The mango that he carries defines fruition, fertility and sweetness. His Ekadanta form, which is an aspect of Vijaya Ganapati, depicts oneness of mind and single minded devotion – the key to success. His middle right hand, carrying broken tusk, is so held that in simultaneity it also bestows 'abhaya'. Though riding his mouse, Vijaya Ganapati is in a semi-dance mode – one foot laid earthward and the other stretched horizontally. He thus extends into all directions and at the same time does not lose his touch with the earth. His red complexion glows in darkness and brightens the creation as also the darkness within.

This image of the great Lord has been sculpted with the pot belly, manifesting him as Lambodara, and with the syllable Aum inscribed on the forepart of his trunk. This prodigious large protruding belly is believed to contain in it all galaxies, all known and all unknown universes – it is the seed that contains within an entire tree and more seeds and more trees. Aum is the sound of creation wherein the whole universe becomes manifest. The form of Vijaya Ganapati vibrates with the sound of Aum and thus in it the whole universe becomes manifest. With his half shut eyes, the figure of the great lord reveals meditative absorption further defining oneness of mind with which Vijaya Ganapati leads his devotees to endless success.

This image, bejewelled elaborately from toe to head, is only in loin-cloth which does not extend beyond knees, though a beautiful sash consisting of red beads and green 'falis' – frills, unfurling on his both sides, makes up for the over-all lack of costume. Ornaments consist of variously designed necklaces, magnificent armslets, bracelets, anklets, and various other ornaments worn on other body-parts. A lace of beads is worn around the trunk also. His head-dress-cum-crown is of moderate size but elaborately carved with various designing patterns and motifs. The statue is installed on a conventionalised lotus 'pitha' with a four-petaled flower in its centre. Towards the left of the 'pitha' there lay the basket with 'modakas' and in its middle stands Lord's mouse. The holy image of Lord Ganapati is seated on the mouse against a variedly designed 'prabhavali' with the 'Shrimukha' motif surmounting its circular apex. 'Shrimukha' adds to the image further auspiciosness.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

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Sculpting Serenity: Unveiling the Art of Crafting Wood Statues

Wood has been a preferred material for sculptures and statues since ancient times. It is easy to work with than most metals and stones and therefore requires less effort to shape it into any desired shape or form. The texture of the wood gives an element of realism to the sculpture. The selection of an appropriate wood type is necessary for carving. Woods that are too resinous or coniferous are not considered good for carving as their fiber is very soft and thus lacks strength. On the other hand, wood such as Mahogany, Oakwood, Walnut wood, Weet cherry wood, etc., are preferred by sculptors because their fiber is harder. A wood sculptor uses various tools such as a pointed chisel in one hand and a mallet in another to bring the wood to the desired measurement and to make intricate details on it. A carving knife is used to cut and smooth the wood. Other tools such as the gouge, V-tool, and coping saw also serve as important tools in wood carving. Although the wood carving technique is not as complex and tough as stone carving or metal sculpting, nonetheless, a wood carver requires a high level of skills and expertise to create a stunning sculpture.

1. Selecting the right wood

The process of wood carving begins with selecting a chunk of wood that is required according to the type and shape of the statue to be created by the sculptor. Both hardwoods and softwoods are used for making artistic pieces, however, hardwoods are preferred more than softer woods because of their durability and longevity. But if heavy detailing is to be done on the statue, wood with fine grain would be needed as it would be difficult to work with hardwood.

2. Shaping the wood

Once the wood type is selected, the wood carver begins the general shaping process using gouges of various sizes. A gouge is a tool having a curved cutting edge which is useful in removing large unwanted portions of wood easily without splitting the wood. The sculptor always carves the wood across the grain of the wood and not against it.

3. Adding detailing

When a refined shape of the statue is obtained, it is time for making details on the statue using different tools. This is achieved by using tools such as a veiner to make and a V-tool to create decorative and sharp cuts.

4. Surface finishing

Once finer details have been added, the sculptor is ready to smoothen the surface and give it a perfect finish. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are used to get a smooth surface. The finer polishing is obtained by rubbing the surface with sandpaper. If a textured surface is required, this step is skipped. Finally, to protect the statue from excessive dirt accumulation, the sculptor applies natural oils such as walnut or linseed oil all over it. This also brings a natural sheen to the statue.