Dancing Ganesh

This is a painting of elephant headed God, Ganesh. Ganesh is regarded as the lord of beginnings and one of the most popular deities in the Kathmandu Valley, worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus. He has an elephant head and a human body. Usually, his body is depicted as short and squat with and enormous belly. He is a god of wisdom and removerof obstacles. He is widely worshipped as the remover of obstacles and patron of learning.

On the painting, Ganesh is shown dancing in an icy snow on the pink lotus flower at the Mount Kailash. Like his father, Shiva who performs the dance of destruction and creation, Ganesh as Vighnantaka “Remover of Obstacles” performs the tandava dance to remove all the obstacles while his vahana a mouse adoringly looks up at his lord. One the background, there is a Garuda and a mouse who were spellbound to see his beautiful dance and they were changed in the ice form. He has a smiling face and his trunk turns up side.

He has four hands.First right hand is on blessing giving posture and second right hand holds rosary whereas first left hand holds his favorite food named “laddu” (sweets) and second left hand hold the axe. Similarly, he is standing with right leg on the ground and left leg bending towards right side which looks real and cute to see.

Stylistically, this painting is a wonderful contemporary expression of Ganesh.

Sanam Shakya, M.A. in Applied Buddhism, Lumbini University.

Managing Director, The Spiritual Arts

Whatsapp No.: +977-9803214009