Visually the structure appears to be two-storeyed, the elephant god occupying the upper : the ‘prabhavali’ proper, and a devotee couple, the ground, its base. However, this is symbolically the geography – the plan layout of a temple. While the ‘prabhavali’ part that the deity enshrines represents the sanctum sanctorum, or the shrine proper, its base unit, where the devotee couple stands, its ante-chamber, ‘mandapa’, foreyard, or the space for devotees. In a wooden plaque like this with little thickness and hardly any scope for carving depth perspective it is in its verticality alone that the horizontal dimensions can be discovered. Structurally the upper chamber, sanctum, ‘prabhavali’ proper, or whatever, is carried over an elegantly carved massive half pillar raised in the centre of the base unit and a pillar on either edge along the figures of the devotee couple carrying head-loads that raise their figure-height right to the ceiling level and thus support the upper chamber that the deity enshrines on their heads. The structure’s main base consists of a three tiered base moulding carved mainly with conventionalised lotus motifs.

The statue carved with exceptionally fine details represents Lord Ganesh in his manifestation as Vijay Ganapati, one of his thirty-two classical forms as enshrine various Puranic texts right since eighth century, the Mudgala Purana being the foremost. The Mudgala Purana not only classifies his forms but also specify main features of each form’s physiognomy and overall image. Strangely, the image of Lord Ganesha has been most experimented with and thousands are his forms in prevalence; however, a larger number of them seem to have been conceived by blending/synthesizing one or more of these forms. A contemporary work, this statue too is a blend of such classical iconography. Besides its four-armed form carrying in them exactly the same attributes, riding his mount mouse and seated in ‘utkut akasana’ as the Mudgala Purana prescribes for Vijay Ganapati, the image has been conceived with same level of beauty, divine aura, vigour and gold-like lustre as the texts prescribe for Vijay Ganapati.

Vijay Ganapati is one of the most accomplished forms of Lord Ganesha. He is the Lord of victory who bestows success and every kind of bliss. One of his most powerful manifestations this image of Vijay Ganapati assimilates also his three other forms equally powerful and effective, namely, Ekadanta, one tusked, suggestive of single-mindedness and utmost sacrifice, sacrificing even his body-part for accomplishing his devotee’s prayer, Vakratunda, one with curved trunk and firm hold, and Lambodara, pot-bellied, containing oceans of knowledge and riches. Where there is Ekadanta no duality exists; meditating on him leads to one-pointed mind and to singleness of object. With his long curved trunk he explores womb of the earth, unfathomable depth of oceans, and inaccessible regions of the sky. All that he explores are contained in his pot-belly and he showers it on his devotees. These aspects multiply the auspicious nature of the image many times.

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.

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.