Rinamochana Ganesha

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Namami Vighneshvara padapankajam

"O son of Uma, thou hath lotus feet, destroyth grief and removeth impediments, thee we salute".

This gorgeous image of Lord Ganesha represents, and in quite close resemblance, his Rinamochana Ganapati form as prescribed in Indian ancient texts especially the Modagalya Purana. Rinamochana Ganapati is essentially his votive form widely worshipped in India and abroad as the deity that removes the bondage of humanity. He is the remover of adversities, keeps evil under his yoke and contains detrimental forces. Rinamochana Ganapati is the presiding deity form of most of Ganesha temples. The invocation - 'Nirvighnam kuru mey deva sarva karyeshu sarvatha', is the most appropriate 'mantra' for invoking Rinamochana Ganapati.

Born of Uma, or Paravati, the illustrious daughter of Himalayas, Lord Ganesha in his Rinamochana Ganapati manifestation has white crystalline complexion, obviously like that of Himalaya. He has been bestowed with the tenderness of lotus-flowers, which by being in his constant company as his 'pitha' or seat, have become a part of his cult. Rinamochana Ganapati is dressed in silk, usually red, and carries in his four hands goad, noose, milk-white broken tusk and a sweet fruit, usually a mango. The cool, soft and kind hearted Rinamochana Ganapati is the auspicious god of good beginning and the harbinger of good fortune, success and prosperity. He liberates the soul from the temporal bonds and temptations and leads to the attainment of the ultimate good, the moksha, or salvation.

The sublime figure of the god has been consecrated on a double lotus placed on the traditional lotus 'pitha'. The lotus he is seated on is large enough to suit his massive physiognomy. He is seated in semi-'padmasana', that is, left leg in 'padmasana' form while the right suspending on to the 'pitha'. He is wearing an elegant crown and rich jewelry, the ornaments of usual kind and a 'yajnapavita'. On his forehead he has the usual 'tripunda' mark. His loin cloth and sash tied around his waist are splendid silk, though instead the usual red of Rinamochana Ganapati they are green. On his left is his vehicle mouse in its mini form.

The image has been installed inside a ‘prabhavali’ – fire-arch. The beautifully carved ‘prabhavali’ around the figure of Lord Ganesha rises from a base consisting of dual lotus moulding along a pair of half columns, one on either side, that hold on their tops a circular three-tiered frame, the outer and the principal one, consisting of stylized lotuses. The inner two rings consist of courses of beads and leaf-design. The ‘prabhavali’, otherwise symbolising cosmos that Vijay Ganapati pervades, creates around the figure great divine aura and a beautiful frame. The fire-arch is topped by Shrimukha symbolising utmost good.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.

Sculpting Serenity: Unveiling the Art of Crafting Wood Statues

Wood has been a preferred material for sculptures and statues since ancient times. It is easy to work with than most metals and stones and therefore requires less effort to shape it into any desired shape or form. The texture of the wood gives an element of realism to the sculpture. The selection of an appropriate wood type is necessary for carving. Woods that are too resinous or coniferous are not considered good for carving as their fiber is very soft and thus lacks strength. On the other hand, wood such as Mahogany, Oakwood, Walnut wood, Weet cherry wood, etc., are preferred by sculptors because their fiber is harder. A wood sculptor uses various tools such as a pointed chisel in one hand and a mallet in another to bring the wood to the desired measurement and to make intricate details on it. A carving knife is used to cut and smooth the wood. Other tools such as the gouge, V-tool, and coping saw also serve as important tools in wood carving. Although the wood carving technique is not as complex and tough as stone carving or metal sculpting, nonetheless, a wood carver requires a high level of skills and expertise to create a stunning sculpture.

1. Selecting the right wood

The process of wood carving begins with selecting a chunk of wood that is required according to the type and shape of the statue to be created by the sculptor. Both hardwoods and softwoods are used for making artistic pieces, however, hardwoods are preferred more than softer woods because of their durability and longevity. But if heavy detailing is to be done on the statue, wood with fine grain would be needed as it would be difficult to work with hardwood.

2. Shaping the wood

Once the wood type is selected, the wood carver begins the general shaping process using gouges of various sizes. A gouge is a tool having a curved cutting edge which is useful in removing large unwanted portions of wood easily without splitting the wood. The sculptor always carves the wood across the grain of the wood and not against it.

3. Adding detailing

When a refined shape of the statue is obtained, it is time for making details on the statue using different tools. This is achieved by using tools such as a veiner to make and a V-tool to create decorative and sharp cuts.

4. Surface finishing

Once finer details have been added, the sculptor is ready to smoothen the surface and give it a perfect finish. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are used to get a smooth surface. The finer polishing is obtained by rubbing the surface with sandpaper. If a textured surface is required, this step is skipped. Finally, to protect the statue from excessive dirt accumulation, the sculptor applies natural oils such as walnut or linseed oil all over it. This also brings a natural sheen to the statue.