Saturday, December 13, 2008

Sunday, November 9, 2008

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.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

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.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Fountain Pen


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

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Joyful


Without Shri Ganesha's quality of innocence
it is impossible to feel joyful.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

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.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Blue Lotus


Painting by Graham Brown
Graphic design by Rodolphe Clement

The Blue Lotus is sacred to Shri Ganesha

Friday, August 22, 2008

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

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

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.



Thursday, July 31, 2008

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

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Saturday, July 26, 2008

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.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

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