Buff Sandstone
13th Century

Madhya Pradesh

Height: 18 in (45 cm)

Ganesha, known as the remover of all obstacles, is seen here seated in his usual four-handed form. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati, and perhaps the most widely worshipped of all Hindu Gods.

In this buff-sandstone sculpture, he holds his attributes in his upper hands. The upper right hand holds an axe, and the upper left hand holds a lotus bud. His lower left hand holds scriptures, denoting his wisdom. It is said that he had assisted the great sage Vyasa in writing the Mahabharata. His lower right arm rests on his knee and holds a bowl of his favorite sweets, the 'modak'. The long trunk of this food loving deity extends to the bowl to fetch a morsel of the sweet. Several necklaces adorn his neck, and large anklets decorate his feet. A large crown rests on his head.

The sculpture is large and complete. The fact that the attributes are intact and the beige colour add to the visual impact of this sculpture.

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