Eight-armed Shesh-seated Ganesha

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An eight-armed form and association of Lakshmi with such form is the essential perception of Lakshmi-Ganesha iconography, though Lakshmi’s presence in such Lakshmi-Ganesha icons is as a rule only symbolic, represented invariably as Riddhi and Siddhi, goddess Lakshmi’s versions in the iconography of Ganesha. A form almost rigidified, in Lakshmi-Ganesha iconography Riddhi and Siddhi, the source of success, prosperity and good crop, as also wisdom and achievement, are conceived as seated on the thighs of Ganapati flanking him on either side. In this statue the figure of Lord Ganesha has been conceived with eight arms but without the icons of Riddhi and Siddhi. However, the presence of Vaishnava elements, the great serpent Shesh and an abundance of lotuses, Lakshmi’s exclusive symbols, in particular, is quite conspicuous suggestive of the presence of Lakshmi-elements in the iconography of Ganesha. Unless the artist had thought of associating Lakshmi’s aspect with the form of Ganesha, he would not include with his image these Vaishnava elements too foreign to his form. Maybe, being cumbersome to carve in a wood-piece, as also focus-diluting, the artist alternated anthropomorphic images of Riddhi and Siddhi with Lakshmi’s other symbols, mainly the lotus.

The attributes that Lakshmi-Ganapati holds in his eight hands are usually a green parrot, pomegranate, sword, goad, noose, sprig of Kalpavriksha and water vessel and the eighth is held in ‘Varada’, though in this image, corresponding to the shift in subordinate icons, these attributes too have characteristically changed. He still carries goad and noose, a mango in place of pomegranate, and broken tusk, in place of sword, but in rest four, two on the right, and two on the left, the Holy Ganapati carries a lotus each. This magnitude of lotus is far greater. The Prabhavali’s outer ring, the bases and apexes of the columns supporting Prabhavali, the base-line, edges and other significant parts of the podium on which the Prabhavali has been raised, all comprise lotus motifs. Being Lakshmi’s symbolic presence, and representing fruition, fertility and all that Riddhi and Siddhi symbolised, the infusion of lotus in the iconography of this Ganapati image defines Lakshmi’s presence, and thus, this form of Ganesha as his form as Lakshmi Ganapati.

Lakshmi Ganapati is one of Lord Ganesha’s most worshipped forms, perhaps because Lakshmi pleases more readily when lauded with Ganapati, not with her consort Lord Vishnu. 'Shree Ganapate namah', 'salutations to Ganapati, whom Lakshmi precedes', is the most effective 'mantra' for invoking Ganesha. Lakshmi precedes Ganapati in the ‘mantra’ and reaches a person even before he invokes Ganesha. The Shesh-seated eight-armed image of Lord Ganesha has been installed on a multi-tiered lotus-podium. With his right leg suspending below, and the left, laid over the Great Serpent’s coil, Lord Ganesha is seated in ‘lalitasana’. He is holding in his hands elephant goad, noose, mango, broken tusk and lotuses in the remaining four. He is elegantly clad and ornamented. The tiny mouse, his mount, has been stationed below on the pedestal. The elephant god has been represented as seated on the coils of the Great Serpent Shesh. The Great Serpent has extended its five-hooded head over his image like a majestic canopy. The most colourfully and brilliantly conceived Prabhavali has atop an elaborate Kirtti-mukha motif.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.

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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.