Heramba Ganapati is perhaps the most rarely represented form of the elephant god in any plastic medium, largely because of its complicated form for any artistic or iconographic skill will find it difficult to plant five elephant heads, and to some extent ten arms, on a single human torso. For a medium like wood it is yet more difficult. Not merely the carving part, even finding a log of wood of this massive size, out of which a statue of this size and such dimensions might be carved, is a difficult task. Most images of Heramba Ganapati install his five heads direct on the figure’s torso itself for giving them broader base and support. In such images neck simply merges into them. In the present statue the upper part comprising five heads has been carved independent of the torso and is supported on a well defined neck with sufficient gap distinguishing the upper part and the torso.

Strangely, with all difficulties of the form overcome, and despite the choice of a far more tedious model, the statue does not lack in anything and is one of the most accomplished works of art. The artist has worked miracle not only in incorporating sensuous warmth, refined plasticity, unique luminosity and a kind of spiritual serenity in creating his deity image but has also maintained formative proportions, unity of form, symmetry of repeated members and all without letting its aesthetics suffer. The figure of the deity, with a shorter height as compared to its width, and small legs submerged under a protruding pot belly, is as much quaint and curious. Conceived with pot belly and with a single tusk this Heramba Ganapati form blends with it some of the essential features of Ekadanta and Lambodara Ganapati forms, and hence the divine and spiritual dimensions of such forms.

The delicately carved image of the Great Lord has been installed on a beautiful pedestal consisting of a double lotus placed over a high base rising through stylised lotuses and moulding with vine-imprints. He is seated in ‘lalitasana’, a posture of ease. Trunks on right and left raised above in the air reveal his jubilant mood. The attributes he is carrying in his ten hands are not well defined. In three of them he is holding his broken tusk or an object resembling it, in other three, a dagger like object, in one a mango and in yet another, a noose. In all five trunks he is holding ball-like looking auspicious pots symbolising rain, Ganga, earth, ocean and affluence. Except that his tiny mouse has been represented as enjoying a ‘laddu’, some of the more usual attributes of Heramba Ganapati form, such as rosary, mace, or even a 'laddu’ are missing.

The only garment, which he is wearing, is an 'adhovastra', an elegantly plaited green silk 'dhoti' worn below his waist. A beautifully patterned girdle, consisting of 'falis' or beads, substituting the usual 'nagabandha' of Ganapati iconography, is worn around the pot belly. The god also wears a 'yajnopavit'. The figure is normally bejewelled with armslets, bracelets, anklets, shoulder-laces and a broad necklace on his neck. His head-dress-cum-crown is of a moderate size, but every part of it is covered with elegantly rendered various designing patterns and motifs.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.

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Sculpting Serenity: Unveiling the Art of Crafting Wood Statues

Wood has been a preferred material for sculptures and statues since ancient times. It is easy to work with than most metals and stones and therefore requires less effort to shape it into any desired shape or form. The texture of the wood gives an element of realism to the sculpture. The selection of an appropriate wood type is necessary for carving. Woods that are too resinous or coniferous are not considered good for carving as their fiber is very soft and thus lacks strength. On the other hand, wood such as Mahogany, Oakwood, Walnut wood, Weet cherry wood, etc., are preferred by sculptors because their fiber is harder. A wood sculptor uses various tools such as a pointed chisel in one hand and a mallet in another to bring the wood to the desired measurement and to make intricate details on it. A carving knife is used to cut and smooth the wood. Other tools such as the gouge, V-tool, and coping saw also serve as important tools in wood carving. Although the wood carving technique is not as complex and tough as stone carving or metal sculpting, nonetheless, a wood carver requires a high level of skills and expertise to create a stunning sculpture.

1. Selecting the right wood

The process of wood carving begins with selecting a chunk of wood that is required according to the type and shape of the statue to be created by the sculptor. Both hardwoods and softwoods are used for making artistic pieces, however, hardwoods are preferred more than softer woods because of their durability and longevity. But if heavy detailing is to be done on the statue, wood with fine grain would be needed as it would be difficult to work with hardwood.

2. Shaping the wood

Once the wood type is selected, the wood carver begins the general shaping process using gouges of various sizes. A gouge is a tool having a curved cutting edge which is useful in removing large unwanted portions of wood easily without splitting the wood. The sculptor always carves the wood across the grain of the wood and not against it.

3. Adding detailing

When a refined shape of the statue is obtained, it is time for making details on the statue using different tools. This is achieved by using tools such as a veiner to make and a V-tool to create decorative and sharp cuts.

4. Surface finishing

Once finer details have been added, the sculptor is ready to smoothen the surface and give it a perfect finish. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are used to get a smooth surface. The finer polishing is obtained by rubbing the surface with sandpaper. If a textured surface is required, this step is skipped. Finally, to protect the statue from excessive dirt accumulation, the sculptor applies natural oils such as walnut or linseed oil all over it. This also brings a natural sheen to the statue.