Ganesha - the Lord (Isha) of Gana (attendants of Shiva) is arguably the oldest name of the elephant-faced Hindu deity. In the ancient Puranic texts such as the Shiva Purana, Vamana Purana, Varaha Purana, and Matsya Purana, the son of Shiva and Parvati is appointed the head of a gigantic and ferocious army of Ganas, Bhutas (spirits of the dead), vinayakas (creators of obstacles) and Matrikas (mother-goddesses, embodiment of the warring aspect of Adi-Shakti Durga ).
Accompanied by his cosmic army, Sri Ganesha marches over demons that represent different obstacles in the path of Supreme Wisdom and emerge victorious, standing true to his epithet- “Vighnaharta” (the remover or Harta of obstacles or Vighna). A colossal celebration of Ganesha’s combatant aspect in Hindu art tradition, this Panchaloha Veera Ganapati (the valiant Ganapati), armed with 16 bewildering weapons, in his auspicious single-tusked form is a reminder of Ganesha’s prowess to write an epic battle (the Mahabharata) and own all battlegrounds (as a divine warrior), simultaneously.
An imposing pedestal with an upturned lotus serves as the Peetha (platform) for the Panchaloha Veera Ganapati whose aayudha (weapons) create a powerful halo around his gigantic form. Among the 32 forms of Ganesha described in the 19th-century treatise on iconography by Krishna Raja Woodeyar III, the king of Mysore, the roopa of Veera Ganapati armed with 16 armaments presents the most bewitching iconography of Sri Ganesha.
Owing to his connections with innumerable battles, Veera Ganapati is evoked by his followers as a Universal sovereign and victor, an idea which is spellbindingly captured by the Sthapatis (sculptors) of this Panchaloha Veera Ganapati. A bejeweled Karandamukuta (inverted basket-shaped crown) with Makara (mythical creature, symbolic of divinity and royalty) sits on the massive head of Veera Ganapati. A blossomed Kamala (lotus) sign on the forehead marks the third eye of the elephant-faced Lord and is followed by the Tripunda (an auspicious mark) and a curving symbol of a sprig of the Kalpavriksha (wish-fulfilling tree).
Ganesha’s extended trunk that holds a Mangala-Kalasha (vase of plenty) is in the rare Valampuri (curving to his right) state, making this bronze Veera Ganapati a potent manifestation of the deity which is popularly known as Siddhi Vinayaka. The humongous body of Veera Ganapati is sumptuously adorned with rich ornaments among which the Udarabandha (belly belt) with its ornate Mayura (peacock) design and the elaborate Kamarabandha (waist belt) embellished with Kiritimukha (face of glory) are remarkable works by the Sthapati to emphasize on the royal status of the warrior Ganesha.
The attributes that Veera Ganapati in this ginormous Panchaloha bronze exhibit are allied with the battleground and are employed by Sri Ganesha in the combats of human and metaphysical realms. Using his trained eye, the Sthapati has delineated his sixteen (Shada) arms (bhuja) with such perfection, that though they sprout from the curiously wide shoulders of Ganesha, if one stands in front of the extraordinarily massive Panchaloha, one can recognize each one of them fitting the sense of perception flawlessly and appreciate the tediously sculpted celestial weapons they hold.
Starting from his right, Veera Ganapati holds a chakra (discus), khadaga (spear), Trishula (trident), Muddgara (hammer), Hala (sow), Parashu (ax), Ankusha (goad), Naga-Paasha (serpent used as a noose), Gada (mace), Dhwaja (flag), lance, Danda (a club with a trident on it), Dhaala (shield), and a Vetaala (vampire). In his primary hands, Veera Ganapati brandishes a Dhanusha (bow) which is made from sugarcane and Bana (arrow), both of them being the emblems of royalty.
The Vetala who with his miniature sword and shield is impeccably balanced on the scissor-like gesture of Veera Ganapati is mentioned in the Brahmavaivarta Purana as the persecutor of children and is included in the iconography of Veera Ganapati to highlight that the remover of obstacles has, quite literally, these otherworldly trouble-makers wrapped around his fingers.
“Viniyojitah gananaam aadhipatye cha rudrenaa”- Rudra (Shiva) made Vinayaka (Ganesha) the head of Ganas. The Yajnavalkya Dharmashastra (I, 270) informs us of the crowning of Ganapati or the Lord of Ganas, who are malign spirits with forms as terrible and dark as the moonless night. In the context of icons of Veera Ganapati, Ganas (usually two) can be seen accompanying him, with dreadful appearances, acting as the guardian and soldiers of their Lord.
The two dwarfish Ganas that flank this Panchaloha Veera Ganapati carry a Gada (mace) and have their hands raised in “Tarjani Mudra”- a threatening gesture, directed towards anyone who dares challenge the valiant Ganapati. Their minuscule figures serve as a cue to the staggering size of their Lord, standing at whose feet, overwhelmed by the Darshana (the ritualized act of seeing) of the entire cosmos at once, the mind gets bewildered as to who should one bow down to first? Should we prostrate in front of the Prathama-Poojya (first worshipped) Ganesha or should we surrender our senses to the mastery of Tamil Sthapatis, who brought the cosmic warrior to the realm of the mere mortals?
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