Welcome to a gallery of Ganesha images.
We hope that you enjoy exploring these images and our notes about them and find out a lot about the way artists show their ideas about Ganesha in the work they make.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
How Ganesha is shown in pictures and sculpture
Ganesha is usually drawn or painted with the body of a man and the head of an elephant, having only one whole tusk. The other tusk seems to be broken.
One special feature, apart from the elephant head, is the large belly which falls over his lower garment.
On his chest, across his left shoulder, is his sacred thread. This is often in the form of a snake.
The vehicle of Ganesha is the mouse, often seen paying obeisance to his lord.
According to the strict rules of Hindu art, Ganesha figures with only two hands are taboo - completely banned.
For this reason, Ganesha figures usually have four hands. Some figures may be seen with six, some with eight, some with ten, some with twelve and some with fourteen hands, each hand carrying a symbol which is different from the symbols in other hands. People who have done some research on pictures of Ganesha have found that there are about fifty seven different symbols in all.
Why does Ganesha have the body of a human and the head of an elephant?
There are many stories which tell how Ganesha came to be.
Here is a popular one:
The Goddess Parvati was bathing and wanted some privacy. She scrubbed some sandlewood paste off her body and, out of it, created the figure of a boy. She told him to guard the entrance to her rooms while she bathed.
Soon after this, her husband, Lord Shiva, returned home looking for his wife. The young boy blocked his way and, because he did not know who he was, Shiva became extremely angry and in the battle that followed, Shiva cut off the boy's head.
When she returned from her bath, Parvati saw she headless son and threatened to destroy the heavens and the earth, so great was her sorrow.
Shiva calmed her down and told his followers to bring the head of the first living thing that they met. The first creature they found was an elephant. They cut off its head and it was placed on the body of Parvati's son. Shiva breathed life into him and Parvati embraced her son.
Shiva gave him the name Ganesha.
Shiva gave him the name Ganesha.
Ganesha' hands
Ganesha is almost always shown with at least four hands.
One hand is usually raised up in the "abhaya pose" which is a sign that means "fear not - I am with you".
Another hand is usually shown holding a sweet - this is a sign of the sweetness of the world or the generocity of God.
Two other hands often hold a goad and a noose.
The noose is there to remind people that they can be tied up with wanting one thing then another and another and all wrapped up in the belongings they have and want.
The goad is to remind people that God wants to prod people back onto the right way of living. With this goad, Ganesha can puch away obstacles and fight off evil things.
If Ganesha has more hands then each one carries a special object or has a symbol on it.
Ganesha's belly
Ganesha is drawn with a very big tummy.
This shows that there are many good things in the world. It also suggests that, with such a big stomach, Ganesha can swallow up all the troubles of the universe and protect the world from them.
Ganesha's head
Ganesha has the head of an elephant.
Elephants are thought to be clever animals with good memories. Their big head and big brain symbolises widsom.
Although they are so strong, elephants are known to be very gentle creatures and, despite their size, are vegetarian so they do not kill anything to eat.
Elephants seem very loyal to their keepers and seem to do everything to please their owners if they are shown love and kindness. Ganesha, although a powerful god, is also thought to be loving and forgiving to those who worship him.
At the same time, when made angry, an elephant is strong enough to destroy a whole forest and can be like a one-man army. Ganesha is also powerful and will trryto attack and destroy evil.
Ganesha's ears
Ganesha's ears are very large - like all elephants - so he can listen to everything.
But Ganesha will only remember the good and right things and hear the requests of his followers.
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