Exactly as is the proposition in the Puranas, the four-armed image of Lord Ganapati is carrying in the upper two hands an elephant goad and a noose, and in the lower, his ‘bhagna-danta’ – broken tusk, and a ripe mango as lustrous as cast of gold. Apart, the lustrous elephant god carried a ‘laddu’, his weakness, in his trunk. Though texts also allowed variations, under initial parameters Tryakshara Ganapati was perceived as seated on a majestic high throne consisting of lotuses. In this wood-statue this feature has been further magnified. Here the two-tiered lotus throne has been installed on an elaborated lotus base giving it extra elevation. Tryakshara Ganapati is conceived as seated in absolute ease in an informal sitting position, which in the statue has been perceived as ‘lalitasana’, a sitting posture that not only displayed the sitter in complete ease and great comfort but also revealed rare beauty of form. More significantly, as conceived Puranas, this image of Tryakshara Ganapati is possessed of floppy ears, as large as trailed down the shoulders, serving both, with their extra large size, as flywhisks, and with their AUM-like shape, compensated for the absence of the holy ‘tri-akshara’.

Tryakshara Ganapati, one of Lord Ganesha’s initial thirty-two manifestations as elaborated in early texts, is one of his most highly worshipped votive forms. It stands for greater good and is the most auspicious of his all forms for in Tryakshara Ganapati the elephant god’s auspiciousness is mathematically doubled. Syllable AUM, in whichever form, even symbolically as in this image, is the most sacred sound being as much auspicious in the ritual tradition as Lord Ganesha. Obviously, when it is added to his divine image Tryakshara Ganapati’s divinity and auspiciousness is by itself doubled. As is this brilliant image, Tryakshara Ganapati is a simpler form but endowed with great spiritual aura and symbolic breadth. His image has been conceived as pervading all directions, all cosmic regions below by his downwards stretching right leg reaching the earth, all spaces from left to right, that is, from horizon to horizon, by his left leg stretched horizontally from left to right, all spaces above by his towering crown and every part of it by his presence. Tradition assigns to Tryakshara Ganapati immense auspices and acclaims that his presence showers endless blessings from all sides.

As is the standard format, Tryakshara Ganapati’s lustre does not confine merely to his body-colour or divine aura but extends to his elaborate ornaments and brilliant ensemble. He is wearing just an ‘antariya’ but its scarlet dye and tiny ripples-like surging pleats are so exotic and beautiful. The girdle that supports it is little visible but the green belly-band just a little above it affords it delightful contrast and frames it beautifully. Sash is less prominent but its ends unfurling on either side gives to ‘antariya’ extra breadth. Ornaments are not many but very selective and all beautifully conceived adorning the figure from head to feet. A richly conceived decorative ornament composed of beaded lace and a course of broad phalis trailing from his left shoulder down to his thigh and a moderately tall but most elegantly conceived and crafted crown along with a green ring framing it, perhaps the partially visible halo, impart to the image rare aesthetic beauty.

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.

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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.