Simha Ganesha

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Simha Ganapati, as the epithet means, is the form in which lion is essentially associated with the iconography of Lord Ganesha. The lion icon sometimes alternates mouse, the usual mount of Lord Ganesha, as his mount, though in some cases the lion’s presence is just symbolical. In such symbolic manifestations of Simha Ganapati the Great Lord is seen carrying just a mini lion icon in one of his his hands. Besides auspiciousness and supreme wisdom that Lord Ganesha represents in his all manifest forms, his Simha Ganapati form, strength, formidability and fearlessness being the attributes of lion, assures victories and success and generates a feeling of confidence in adversities of all kinds.

Symbolically as well as in theological tradition the lion’s links with Lord Ganrsh are inherent and quite intimate. Lion that stands for strength, formidability and fearlessness is the vehicle of Parvati, his mother, the primordial cosmic energy believed to have eliminated on one hand evil forces, and on the other, to have enlivened enertness and lifeless matter. Lion, her vehicle and thus her constant companion in her battles against evil, is the instrument of victories, perpetuation of good and elimination of evil. Not merely that the sportive Ganesha delighted in taking away and riding his parents’ mounts, Lord’s Shiva’s bull and Parvati’s lion, as is narrated in various myths, he also assimilated symbolically their attributes into his being, the lion’s strength, formidability and dauntlessness, and the bull’s inherent nature to always move ahead. Simha Ganapati is his manifestation in which the Great God synthesises with auspiciousness and supreme wisdom strength, formidability and fearlessness and emerges as the supreme divine tool to lead to victories and success in all walks of life.

In deviation from the usual Simha Ganapati form which perceives the deity as seated on the lion, more often in ’lalitasana’ – one leg laid horizontally on the lion’s back, and the other, suspending to the ground, and sometimes in semi-’yogasana’, this wood-statue represents him as standing on the lion’s back, perhaps for emphasising his readiness to charge on his devotees’ adversities and foes. Simha Ganapati is essentially multi-armed usually having eight arms, though in this statue the image is just six-armed, the form of Kshipra Prasad Ganapati. A pot of jewels and a 'Kalpavriksha' sprig, the more usual attributes of Simha Ganapati iconography, are missing or alternated with a beaded bracelet and banana bud and fruit in this representation. This statue carries instead in upper right and left hands lotus and noose, the symbols of purity and self restraint, in middle right and left hands, banana-bud and banana fruits, the symbol of auspicious beginning and perpetuation of auspiciousness, and in lower right and left hands, a beaded bracelet and a mace, the symbols of riches and might. The lower right hand also has a serpent rising from it. The serpent symbolises long life and life’s perpetuation. Pure wood colour of the statue corresponds to white body colour which texts prescribe as the body colour of Simha Ganapati.

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.