This magnificent brass statue represents India's most popular deity Lord Ganesh or Ganapati in his Bhakti Ganapati form. Lord Ganesh, known and worshipped by over a thousand names and epithets in India, Nepal, Srilanka, Jawa, Japan, Sumatra and several other countries within and beyond Central Asia, and not only by Hindus, has been for centuries now perhaps the most popular theme of artistic innovations. From sleek line-drawings to massive sculptures, a play-ground to a sanctum, a door lintel to a mill's chimney, a shrewd mahajana's ledger to a novice's exercise book, convictions to conventions, season's greetings or auspicious cards to texts and scriptures, canvas to rocks, literary classics to folk traditions, believers to blasphemers there prevail his innumerable forms all alike lovable, cute, quaint, curious, new and innovative.

Efforts have been made to define and classify these innumerable forms of Ganesh but the volume of innovations was always greater than that of the definitions and classifications. A few that fell under such classifications too have their variants. It hence becomes difficult to discover his two exactly similar representations. This four handed seated image of Ganesh placed against 'Prabhavali' or the fiery arch manifests his Bhakti Ganapati form but not without its own individuality and points of departure from the main tradition of Bhakti Ganapati. 'Prabhavali', which has on its apex the image of Mahakala, the God of time, who ultimately claims all things and is above all and thus stands for God's triple Act, the creation, preservation and fiery dissolution, is obviously an extension of the Bhakti Ganapati manifestation. The Bhakti Ganapati, shining like the full moon during harvest season and wearing garland of lively flowers upon his person and a pleasant look on his face, otherwise only aims at delighting. The delight giving Bhakti Ganapati, as the Lord of 'Ganas', the cosmic elements, contains in him here in this manifestation God's cosmic triple Act.

The Bhakti Ganapati form has been conceived with moon-like brilliance, flowers-like freshness, harvest season-like jubilation and with mango, coconut, banana and the bowl of 'khir', the sweet pudding of rice cooked in milk and sugarcane juice, representing fertility, auspices and abundance, in his four hands. This fascinating Ganesh icon, despite what its medium conditions, is a mirror of these glaring attributes. The mango representing the highest spiritual fruition has been elevated here from hand to trunk. 'Modaka' replaces the 'khir' bowl. The auspices which the coconut and banana bestowed have been substituted by lotus, the auspicious symbol of purity and riches, battle-axe which warded off evil and obstructions, 'abhaya' which removed apprehensions and fears and noose which drew all to his benefaction.

He has extra protruded pot-like belly conceived to contain within it the world in abundance, all its galaxies and all known and unknown universes. Lotuses and other flowers pile to raise for him a platform or seat. He has been richly adorned with ornaments on breast, arms, cuffs, hands, waist, forehead and ears. The forehead has been adorned with the sacred 'bindi' and the trunk with the mystic diagram. He is wearing 'yajnopavita' and a sash consisting of a snake. The towering head-dress elevating mind to spiritual heights is divisible into two parts, the crest and the helmet. This marvellous brass icon of Ganesh imparts thus further dimensions to his Bhakti Ganapati form.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain. Prof. Jain specializes in the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture.