Featured as part of Encountering Religions in Asian Art
Historical Period(s)
12th-13th century, Hoysala dynasty
Medium
Chloritic schist
Dimensions
H x W x D: 88.6 x 53.7 x 33.7 cm (34 7/8 x 21 1/8 x 13 1/4 in)
Geography
Halebid, Karnataka state, India
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1987.960
Title: Seated Ganesha[ga-NE-shuh]the elephant-headed god; son of Shiva and Parvati. He is the remover of obstacles and the deity of new beginnings.
Type: Sculpture
Associated Religious Tradition: Hinduism
Origins
Geography: India, Karnataka state
Date: 12th–13th century
Period: Hoysala dynasty[HOY-sa-la]a south Indian dynasty that ruled most of the modern Indian state of Karnataka from the tenth to fourteenth centuries.
Physical Properties
Material: chloritic schista greenish-colored metamorphic rock containing elements of chlorite. Its softness allows for detailed sculpting work.
Dimensions: H × W × D: 88.6 × 53.7 × 33.7 cm (34 7/8 × 21 1/8 × 13 1/4 in)
Crediting Information
Collection: Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Credit Line: Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Accession Number: S1987.960
The Hindu god Ganesha[ga-NE-shuh]the elephant-headed god; son of Shiva and Parvati. He is the remover of obstacles and the deity of new beginnings. is widely revered as the scribe for the great ancient Sanskrit[san-SKRIT]the Indian language in which the earliest Hindu hymns, as well as many later scriptures, were composed. A cosmopolitan language used across South and Southeast Asia for centuries, it is the language of numerous Buddhist texts. Buddhist texts known or believed to have been translated from Sanskrit are considered authoritative. epic, the Mahabharata[MA-huh-PAA-ruh-tuh]one of India’s two great epics, composed roughly between the second century BCE and the fourth century CE.. The story relates that when the sage Vyasa began composing the text orally, the elephant-headed Ganesha generously broke off his own tusk to use as a pen. To this day, students write Ganesha’s name on their coursework to ensure success. Devotees also associate the benevolent god with good beginnings, abundant harvests, and overcoming obstacles.
Ganesha is the son of the god Shiva[SHI-vuh]one of the most important and widely revered Hindu deities. and the goddess Parvati[PAR-vuh-tee]a Hindu goddess; wife of Shiva and mother of Ganesha.. Parvati created Ganesha while her husband was away. She took a bath and asked Ganesha to mind the door. Upon his return, Shiva was startled by the boy—who staunchly refused Shiva entry to his own home—and, believing him to be an intruder, Shiva cut off Ganesha’s head. When Parvati emerged, Shiva recognized his error: This was his son!
To restore him to life, Shiva replaced Ganesha’s head with the head of the first animal to walk by, which was an elephant. Ganesha, therefore, is represented with the head of an elephant and a portly human body. Elephants are mighty animals with the size and strength to remove physical barriers, hence Ganesha’s key role as a remover of obstacles. Ganesha’s rotund belly represents his love of sweets and the sweetness of life.
This sculpture of Ganesha[ga-NE-shuh]the elephant-headed god; son of Shiva and Parvati. He is the remover of obstacles and the deity of new beginnings. was produced during the reign of the Hoysala kings. The dynasty ruled from the mid-eleventh to mid-fourteenth centuries in much of today’s Karnataka state in southwestern India. Hoysala temples are famous for their elaborately carved surfaces, which abound with floral and geometric imagery covering every space between deity images. Carved from chloritic schista greenish-colored metamorphic rock containing elements of chlorite. Its softness allows for detailed sculpting work., a stone that is soft enough to allow for detailed carvings and embellishments, the temples are highly ornamental and robust. Hoysala temples had sculptures of figures on the outer walls for viewing by devotees who circumambulated (ritually walked in a circle around) the temple.
Sculptures are also enshrined in the interior of the temple. This sculpture most likely occupied a specially built shrine in the entry hall (ranga-mandapa) on the western side, facing east, next to the principal deity (either Shiva[SHI-vuh]one of the most important and widely revered Hindu deities. or Vishnu[VISH-noo]one of the principal deities of the Hindu traditions. He is the object of devotion for the Vaishnavas and the preserver of the universe. He has taken physical form as human avatars, such as Rama and Krishna.). In each of his four arms, he grasps an item of great significance. In his right upper hand, Ganesha holds an axe. This weapon is used to cut bonds and to destroy obstacles for devotees. In his lower right hand, he holds his broken tusk and makes a mudra[MOOD-ruh]a symbolic gesture of the hands or pose of the whole body found in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain art., a ritual gesture of blessing. His trunk curves to taste a container piled high with sweets, balanced in his lower left hand. His upper left hand grasps a lotus flower, a symbol of purity, and his tall crown reminds us of his regal importance despite his whimsical appearance.
Ganesha[ga-NE-shuh]the elephant-headed god; son of Shiva and Parvati. He is the remover of obstacles and the deity of new beginnings. remains a dearly beloved and popular deity in Hindu traditions throughout the world. Celebrated during his annual birthday festival, Ganesha Chaturthi[ga-NE-shuh cha-TOOR-tee]a ten-day festival that marks the birth of Ganesha, celebrated in August–September; also commonly known as Ganesh Chaturthi., he is also regularly worshiped at the beginning of a wide range of new endeavors, including the school year. For the ten-day Ganesha Chaturthi festival, images of the elephant-headed god, both monumental and tiny in stature, are carried in grand processions or carried personally to the coast, where they are ultimately submerged in the sea.
How would you describe Ganesha’s pose? What other features of Ganesha[ga-NE-shuh]the elephant-headed god; son of Shiva and Parvati. He is the remover of obstacles and the deity of new beginnings. stand out to you?
What is Ganesha holding in each hand? What could you do with each of the items he is holding? How might he use these objects? What are some of the meanings of these objects in Hindu traditions?
Compare this Ganesha with another sculpture from the Hoysala period, the Celestial Dancer. What characteristics of these two sculptures are similar or different? What other objects or sources would help you interpret this image?
How did the sculptor take advantage of the softness of chloritic schista greenish-colored metamorphic rock containing elements of chlorite. Its softness allows for detailed sculpting work. to create this image? What aspects of the sculpture are particularly beautiful to you, and why?
What is special or unique about Ganesha[ga-NE-shuh]the elephant-headed god; son of Shiva and Parvati. He is the remover of obstacles and the deity of new beginnings. among Hindu deities?
Why are festivals an important part of the religious and cultural lives of communities?
How do religious stories evolve or change across time and place?
