Trimukha Ganesha in Dance Mode

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This 42" tall and 21" wide magnificent Ganapati statue, elaborately carved out of a single log of teakwood, largely adheres to the Trimukha Ganapati iconography. Besides that the image has three faces and six arms, it has a strong contemplative demeanour, which is one of the main attributes of Trimukha Ganapati form. Scriptures have conceived Trimukha Ganapati as having red complexion, seated on a golden lotus, turning beads or having a rosary, pot of nectar and holding his hands in abhaya and varada. This Ganapati image does not have red complexion but its massive use of red in costume, crown and over-all ornamentation creates the required impact. The golden lotus, as his seat, has been replaced here by the Mushaka but the Mushaka is saddled in rose-like pink and it wears rosy beads. Similarly, instead of rosary, the Great Lord is carrying in his uppermost hands on both sides nooses, but their suspending strings exactly resemble a rosary and he appears as if counting beads. Again, the pot of nectar has been replaced by a Purnaghata motif, which the deity is carrying in his lowermost right hand. In Indian tradition, the auspicious Purnaghata, pot filled with water and a coconut and mango leaves surmounting it, symbolises all three cosmic regions – pot ocean; coconut the sky and all known and unknown universes; and mango leaves the earth, the symbol of spiritual and worldly fruition. He is carrying in his middle hands broken tusk and sweet but their gesture corresponds to abhaya and varada. Besides, he has a mace in his lower left hand. Though held quite casually, this instrument of chastising evil-doers assures further protection – abhaya.

The most significant aspect that the artist has added to this Trimukha Ganapati image here is the elephant god's rapturous dance, which he is performing even while riding his Mushaka. The mood of the divine being reveals not in any boisterous activity but rather in its spirit, its inner strength, which, instead of bursting in his form, expresses itself with unique composer. He has sweet in his hand but none of his trunks inclines to it. As if in ecstatic trance, they remain where they are, unmoved and introvert. From the divine dance radiates divine bliss all around, which Trimukha Ganapati multiplies many times. Mudgal Purana acclaims that the bliss is absolute when the great Lord is engaged in dance as there radiates from it light and the darkness is not allowed to peep in. Besides, when he positions one of his feet earthward and the other horizontally or skyward, there is created a magnetic circuit with cosmic magnitude, which brings the earth and the regions below and above the earth into its range and the delight of the deity becomes the divine bliss of the entire creation.

This Trimukha Ganapati image has strong elements of Orissa art style. Orissa has a very early tradition of Ganapati images. They are mostly in the dance mode and are placed against a Prabhavali topped by Shrimukha motif. In the modeling of the lower half of this image, the artist is largely influenced by the 10th-11th century Ganesh image from Bengal, now in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. It suggests artist's adherence to India's age-old tradition and iconographic perception.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

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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.