12'' Ganesha | Madhuchista Vidhana (Lost-Wax) | Panchaloha Bronze from Swamimalai

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The finesse with which this ‘panchaloha’ bronze image of Ganesha recreates his cosmic glory stands as a wonderful testament to the skill of the ‘sthapatis,’ or the master craftsmen of the Vishwakarma community in Swamimalai. For it is in their finely attuned hands that we get to see an exquisite depiction of the religious as well as aesthetic worth of the god of good luck and removal of obstacles. While it remains common knowledge how Ganesha’s elephant head came to exist – a result of a quarrel between Shiva and Parvati – what is interesting is that the portrayal of Ganesha throughout Indian history has underwent remarkable regional variations and change. A wonderful study conducted by Pratapaditya Pal, titled ‘Ganesha, the Benevolent’ understands that the deity’s representation has varied over thirty-two forms (as noted in ancient texts like the Mudgala Purana), encompassing standing, dancing, fearsome, familial, or regal visuals. The image that we have here closely resembles the ‘Haridra Ganapati’ form, which is depicted in yellow as turmeric (a subtle nod to the bronze hue of the sculpture here) and has four arms that carry a ‘pasha’ or noose, an ‘ankusha’ or elephant goad, a ‘modaka’ or sweet, and his ‘danta’ or broken tusk. The noose and the goad have interesting connotations, for while traditionally they are paired as tools of subjugation, the iconographic treatises like the Niyotsava and Mantramaharnava dictate that Ganesha uses the noose to bring his devotees closer to him and leads them on to the righteous path by the goad. Along with such iconographic trends, the bronze statue, made in the manner and technique of cire perdue, details fine jewellery over Ganesha’s body, seating him on a raised multi-tiered plinth of an inverted lotus, that is complimented by a large halo that is made up of recurring motifs of minuscule paisleys.