A Joyous Christmas to All

Miniature painting by Graham Brown

Ancient Sculpture

Devotion

Antique

Antique door panel

According to Hindu mythology, Shri Ganesha stood guard at the entrance to the abode of His mother the goddess Parvati; therefore His image is often used to decorate entrances.

Musician

Porcelain figurine by the Lladro company of Spain.

Restoration

Detail of a damaged miniature painting which I restored digitally.

In Thailand

Golden statue of Shri Ganesha in a Bangkok shrine

In Thailand, Shri Ganesha is worshipped as Phra Pikanet or Phra Phikhanesawora, as the deity of good fortune and the remover of obstacles. He is associated with the arts, education and trade. Lord Ganesha appears on the emblem for the Ministry of Fine Arts in Thailand, and the large television chanels and production companies have Shrines in his honour in front of their premises. Few movies or television shows begin shooting without a Brahmin ceremony in which prayers and offerings are made to Shri Ganesha. There are shrines to Phra Pikanet across Thailand. One of the most revered Shrines being the Royal Brahmin Temple in central Bangkok. There are other old Phra Pikanet images across Thailand, and Thai Buddhists frequently pay respect to Phra Pikanet and other Brahmin deities as a result of the overlaping Buddhist/Brahmin cosmology.

Fountain Pen

Shri Ganesha image on a pen.

As the scribe of the great epic, the Mahabharata, Shri Ganesha presides over writing and scholarship.

Source: http://airlineintl.com/AP_pens/The_Ganesha_Elephant_God.htm

Joyful

Without Shri Ganesha's quality of innocence

it is impossible to feel joyful.

Happy Ganesha Chaturthi

Today is the festival of Lord Ganesha. Celebrated each year, on the 4th day (Chatur means four) of the new moon in August-September. It is especially auspicious if it falls on a Tuesday, as this is Shri Ganesha's day of the week.

Blue Lotus

Painting by Graham Brown
Graphic design by Rodolphe Clement

The Blue Lotus is sacred to Shri Ganesha

Mooladhara Chakra

B.G. Sharma

Now look at Shri Ganesha: how gentle He is,

how sweet He is, and how innocent He is.

His ways are so gentle.

How He works on you, how He makes things for you,

how gently He does all these things.

- H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Writing

Omkara

Omkara in snow in the Himalayas

Shri Ganesha is associated with the Omkara
the symbol representing the primordial seed energy of creation.
Because of its purity, He is also embodied by snow.

South Indian Painted Statue

Madhubani Style Painting

Madhubani Ganesha

Madhubani Ganapati

Mushakavahana

Mushaka vahana means "having a mouse or rat for a vehicle".

Comic Book Art

Wanting a child and helper, the Goddess, Shri Parvati created a boy out of fragrant paste. Thus Shri Ganesha had a virgin birth, like Lord Jesus. Later His head was replaced with the head of an elephant, signifying wisdom and lack of ego.

Village Pottery

Photos by Jeronimus

Football

Thanks to John N for this picture.

Precious

Dancing

Bronze

With Family

Miniature Painting

South Indian Painting

Shri Ganesha with his parents Shri Shiva Parvati and brother Shri Kartikeya.
These paintings also depict the respective animal vahanas (vehicles) of the Holy Family:
Shiva - Bull, Shakti - Tiger, Kartikeya - peacock, Ganesha - rat.

Ornaments of Gold

Gold

The Golden Ganesha of Medha

Painted statue

Tanjavur

South Indian, Tanjavur (Tanjore) painting,

decorated with gilded relief work and glass jewels.

Graphic

Hibiscus

Ganesha in a hibiscus flower. Hibiscus flowers - especially red varieties - are used for Puja (worship) of Shri Ganesha.

Mushaka

Statue of the Mushaka (mouse or rat), vehicle of Shri Ganesha, before the Ganesha Swayambhu temple at Ganapatipule, on the coast of Maharashtra, India.





The Mouse Chief Reepicheep from CS Lewis' Prince Caspian.

Though apparently meek and insignificant, mice represent the power of Innocence and Humility to pervade - rodents are able to infiltrate places inaccessible to larger creatures. Walls are no obstacle to them. Mice are a recurring motif in children's stories.

Lamp with mushaka, used for performing Aarti (waving of lamp) to Shri Ganesha.

Eco-friendly Idol

Each year on Anant Chaturdashi, the last day of the Hindu festival of Ganeshotsav, countless idols of Lord Ganesha are submerged in the sea or a nearby body of water. This is called the Visarjan (sacrifice). Many of the modern mass-produced idols used for this purpose are made with materials and paints that are toxic to aquatic life, and sometimes decorated with plastic garlands. Here is an example of a traditional, eco-friendly statue, made from clay and painted with organic pigments such as turmeric. To be auspicious, an image of Ganesha should be made by an artisan with a connection to the Divine, out of an attitude of devotion rather than commercial motives.

Contemporary

Bandopadhyay

CD Cover

Simplicity

Profile

Statuette

Miniature Painting

Ganesha -Nurpur miniature circa 1810

Mosaic