Delve into the duality of existence with Dvimukha Ganapati, a sculpture skilfully shaped through Madhuchista Vidhana on the canvas of Panchaloha Bronze from Swamimalai. The two faces symbolize the delicate balance of opposites, embodying the harmonious integration of polarities within the cosmic order. This sculpture serves as a visual meditation on the interconnectedness of dualities, where Lord Ganesha stands as the divine mediator bridging disparate elements in the grand tapestry of existence.
This two-faced form of Ganapati is known as the ‘Dvimukha Ganapati,’ and its iconography is detailed in the Mudgala Purana. The twenty-seventh form from the thirty-two ascribed to our beloved god of auspicious beginnings, Dvimukha Ganapati is said to have a bluish-green complexion, draped in a silk attire of red colour – draped around his body and extending till the lower edge of the raised pedestal – and an elaborate ‘mukuta’ that is ornately bejewelled; characteristics that are prominently visible in our ‘panchaloha’ image here. The Dvimukha’s two faces are detailed as such so as to complement each other’s peripheral field of vision, allowing this manifestation of Ganesha to see all direction. Such divine gaze allows the god to fend off any demonic presence harassing its devotees.
Seated in a royally relaxed manner of ‘lalitasana’ with the right leg hanging pendent, the four arms of the Dvimukha Ganapati carry iconic attributes: the goad and the noose, signifying the elements with which Ganapati guides the hearts and minds of the dharmic populace over the path of righteousness and salvation, his broken tooth, and a ‘ratna kumbha,’ or a vessel containing precious gems. In Hindu cosmology, the Thiruvonam or Shravana Nakshatra is associated with the Dvimukha Ganapati. A magnificent sculptural example of the two-headed elephant god still in sacred worship can be witnessed at the Badrinath Temple in Uttarakhand.
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist