GANESHASandstoneIndia 12th centuryDimensions: Height 85 cm Wide 45 cmWeight: Approximately 65 KgA big sandstone sculpture of Ganesha, remover of obstacles and bringer of good, with eight arms standing in an arched gateway. Ganesha is displayed in a dancing position with his left leg slightly lifted and right hip tilted. The arms are hanging down to the sides or holding an axe, a broken tusk and a sweet laddu ball which he is reaching for with his trunk. He is wearing different bracelets and belts, and the snake is clearly visible around his chest and belly. The gateway has two pillars upon which two figures are seated. The sides of the gateway are decorated with attendants playing instruments and other mythical creatures.He has the face of an elephant; he holds an axe, a lotus, and other objects in his many arms; he has a potbelly and the legs of a child. At first glance, an odd conglomeration of features. Yet the figure of this dancing Ganesha exudes sensuous grace and dignity. The sculptor who fashioned this image, the patron who commissioned it, and the worshippers who viewed it in its temple niche were united by the Hindu culture of devotion (bhakti), expressed in the ritual worship (puja) of images of gods and goddesses. Darshana, viewing the god’s image, is itself an act of devotion, a connection that elicits the deity’s beneficence and grace.Every feature of the Ganesha icon tells a story about his nature, powers, and deeds. The potbelly signals his love of sweets. Yet he is the god of wisdom, and his curved trunk embodies “Aum,” the sound-symbol of the cosmos. Ganesha is the “God of Beginnings” and “Remover of Obstacles.” His blessing of success must be sought before any new undertaking-a journey, the first day of school, a concert. Not surprisingly, he is the most popular of Hindu gods. This sandstone stele originally formed part of the exterior decoration of a Hindu temple where it would have beenseen by worshippers making ritual circumambulations or walks around the building. It depicts the popular deityGanesha, son of the goddess Parvati. Here the elephant-headed god dances joyously in imitation of his father, Shiva, the king of dancers. It is traditional among Hindus to invoke Ganesha's blessings before the initiation of any new endeavour or when seeking to overcome obstacles in life; he is also the divinity associated with knowledge. Ganesha's sensuous rounded forms and lively pose are characteristic of Indian sculpture of this period in northernand central India. The shrine-like niche in which he stands is topped by flying celestial figures and framed by ornamental architectural elements, female attendants, and composite animals or chimeras known as vyalas.