Ganesha is not just a divine child with a love for laddoos, a plateful of which is in one of His six hands. He is the master (isha) of the Hindu celestial army - Rudra's troops and attendants and acolytes (gana). The characteristic beauty of His form has been captured in the sahasranama (litany of a thousand names), which in turn artist Kailash Raj has portrayed with consummate devotion. His body is plump from all the sweetmeats He indulges in. He is draped in resplendent silk dhotis and layers of glittering jewels that cascade down His soft torso. His six arms, bejewelled all the way from the upper arm to the fingers, each hold an implement of iconographic significance. Note the pristine janeu that He is wearing across His chest, indicative of Brahminhood.
One of Ganesha's thousand names is Gudagulpha, which means that His ankles are so thick they are hardly perceptible. In this watercolour, had it not been for the studded gold anklets His ankles would indeed have been that way! He walks across lush green fields dotted with tufts of tropical blooms, accompanied by none other than the mouse, His vahana. The roseate background gives away the twilight hour, and sets off the pale white glow of His halo to perfection.
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