Seated beneath a decorative arch, on his vahana, the rat, is our multi-armed god. With one hand, he makes the blessing gesture (abhaya mudra). In the other three hands, he holds a mace, a lotus and an axe. He wears a green dhoti and carries a red scarf. He is adorned with jewelry from head to toe. An ornamental crown, the karanda-mukuta sits on his head followed by an equally ornate halo. Lord Ganesha has a human body form and the head of an elephant. People all over are familiar with his large belly, almost synonymous with the god. The eyes are human in aspect with well-defined eyebrows. They hold the gentleness this benign god is related with. From the bridge of the nose, the face becomes the trunk which is turning towards the right. The end of the trunk is coiled and seemingly balancing a modaka.
Above the arch are bright flowers and curvilinear leaves. The craftsman has gone overboard with the brightness of colors. But within the arch are pleasing colors of dusk. Red is predominantly used. Black of the rat does not tone down the color scheme, instead adds to the brilliant hues. A liberal use of gold pigment is made in the ornaments. >p> This extraordinary image is worked upon in the art of batik, where it is waxed and dyed, a number of times, till all the required colors are obtained. It is an art which requires patience as a virtue, together with an aptitude for color and design.
This description by Renu Rana.
Of Related Interest:
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Dolls: Twenty-nine inch high Standing Ganesha Doll
Textiles: Shri Ganeshai Namah Prayer Shawl
Click Here to read the Article: Ganesha - the Elephant Headed God, Art and Mythology
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