GANESHA ON A MAT

Somethings stand the test of time....

This Ganesha painted on a mat 

is one such things...

Would you believe it,if I tell you 

He is nearly forty years old !

Yes ! This  painting was done by me

when I was still in school!

 in the early seventies...

It had decorated many walls 

 He moved houses along with me many a times...

It has been quite some years since 

He has been neatly rolled up and sent to the loft...

and in spite of decluttering my house periodically

I never had the heart to see Him off....

Maybe,because  I felt 

it was wit Him ,I made my foray into creativity

in which He helps me till date...

I know ,this is just a traced outline on a mat

dutifully filled with the various color paints

available in my box...But still,

He is someone Special to me!

BALA GANAPATHY or AALILAI GANESHA -A TANJORE PAINTING

Here is a different Ganesha...

Little Ganesha or Bala Ganapathi

reclining on a peepul leaf (Aalilai)-

This  pose similar to that of Aalilai Krishna-

a cherubic baby- Balakrishna,

wearing jewels and a lotus bud garland,

lying on a cushioned, jewel encrusted Peepul leaf 

with a foot held in his palms near his mouth...

a typical pose of a happy baby...

 Aalilai Krishna is a perennial favorite 

 in Tanjore style paintings...

GANAPATHI - MY TANJORE PAINTING

"VAKRA THUNDA MAHAA KAYA

SOORYA KODI SAMAPRABAA...

NIRVIGNAM GURAVE DEVA

SARVA KAARYESHU SARVATHAA...."

Here is another traditional 


Tanjore Painting of mine ...

It portrays Ganapathi or Ganesha

seated in his gem encrusted golden throne...

Watch his trunk turned to the right...

He is called the Valampuri Vinayaka...

and this is considered a lucky aspect.


You will be able to note the heavy 


NILAMAALAI-(heavy garland) 


 a signature aspect in tanjore paintings...


So are the lotus bud garland and the bolster


and the cushioned seat...


Watch the Ankusha and Paasa in two of his hands


while the other two hands hold 


a broken tusk and a modakam or kozhukkatai


(his favorite sweet offering) respectively...


And spread out before him is a plate full


of sweet modakams ...


and watch his little mascot- Mooshika


who is also is honoured vehicle ,


nibble a tiny modakam...

ANOTHER GANESHA- A TANJORE PAINTING

HERE IS ANOTHER TANJORE PAINTING 

FROM MY GANESHA COLLECTION...

THIS IS A TRADITIONAL AND SIMPLE  ONE 

WHERE YOU FIND GANESHA 

WITH SEATED ON A CUSHIONED ,BEJEWELLED PEDESTAL...

AND A GEM ENCRUSTED MANTAP AND ARCH HEADED WITH A YAALI...

HE IS SITTING WITH A LEG FOLDED ...

AND A BROKEN TUSK,A MODHAKAM (KOZHUKKATTAI),AND LOTUSES

RESPECTIVELY IN HIS FOUR HANDS...

LITTLE MOOSHIK IS AT HIS FEET

NIBBLING AWAY A TINY MODHAK...

SRI MAHA GANAPATHI -A METAL EMBOSSING

"MOOSHIKA VAAHANA MODHAKA HASTHA

SAAMARA KARNA VILAMBIDHA SUTRA

VAAMANA ROOPA MAHESHWARA PUTRA

VIGNA VINAYAKA PAADHA NAMASTE..."

Here is my metal embossing 

of SRI MAHA GANAPATHI

Done on a copper sheet...

Copper gives a warm glow

which adds to the richness of the work...

When we stain the copper embossing

with antirustt paint,

it adds to the burnished effect

and unlike aluminium embossing,

which glows in copper,bronze and silver shades...

a copper embossing is always subtle,muted and glows warmly...

and that ultimately adds to the richness of the work......

GANESHA - READING IN BED - A TANJORE PAINTING

Among all the Gods  in

 the vast plethora of Indian Gods,

Ganesha is considered to be the most friendly one...

There are really no hard and fast rules that are 

observed when we decorate him

no wonder we unleash our creative liberties 

and give him Oh ,soooo many forms 

that catches our fancy...

We would have seen Ganesha 

in unimaginable forms and dresses ,

doing such cute and amusing things...

which are least associated with a God but 

something you can identify in a pal...

Thousands throng to see their favorite 

Ganesha during the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival

doing things that they identify themselves with...

Ganesha playing cricket...

Ganesha riding a bike...

Ganesha on his laptop...

Ganesha bedecked in sweets...

and Ganeshas in various 

sizes ,shapes and forms...

And this friendly Ganesha is someone

we can easily identify

 ourselves with...

Just like you and me,

he is relaxing in his comfortable bed ,

with his favorite book in hand...

his snake belt is loosened ...

and his leg is crossed with a foot up......

Isn't this His idea of relaxation?

I mean,

Divine Relaxation after a day's hard work...

He  takes care of his 

millions of bhaktas' needs


 day in and day out...right!

DANCING GANESHA - A METAL EMBOSSING

WATCH GANESHA DANCE AWAY TO GLORY ON HIS MOOSHIKA....

 THIS IS  A METAL EMBOSSING  DONE ON AN ALUMINIUM SHEET...

AFTER DRAWING THE BASIC OUTLINES OF THE DESIGN,

I ETCH OUT THE LINES WITH A TOOL

THEN EMBOSS THE FIGURE FROM THE FRONT AND THE BACK OF THE METAL SHEET

AS THE FIGURE REQUIRED...

THEN TINT IT WITH ANTI RUST PAINT TO GET

 THE DESIRED BRONZE AND BURNISHED SILVER EFFECT...

VINAYAKA- A MADHUBANI PAINTING...

                                    HERE STANDS WITH REGAL SPLENDOUR

                                    MY VINAYAKA (GANESHA) ....

                                    DONE IN THE STYLE OF MITHILA PAINTINGS

                                    OR MADHUBANI PAINTINGS AS THEY ARE

                                    POPULARLY CALLED....

                                    BRIGHT COLORS ATTAINED FROM VEGETABLE DYES

                                    WHICH DO NOT FADE THROUGH CENTURIES...

                                     DOUBLE LINES IN BLACK-INTERSPERSED WITH TINY LINES

                                     ARE USED TO SEGREGATE THE VARIOUS PORTIONS OF THE  

                                     PAINTING FROM ONE ANOTHER...

                                     THESE PAINTINGS WERE ORIGINALLY DONE ON WALLS

                                     OF THE HOUSES AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES IN THE

                                      BIHARI VILLAGES IN THE DISTRICT OF MADHUBAN...

                                      ARE NOW BEING COMMERCIALLY DONE ON WOOD,

                                       CLOTH  CANVAS,PAPER ETC...WITH COMMERCIALLY

                                       AVAILABLE BRIGHT COLORS....

GANESHA -ANOTHER TANJORE PAINTING

                                      " MOOSHIKA VAAHANA MODHAKA HASTHA

                                      SHAAMARA KARNA VILAMBITHA SOOTRA....

                                       VAAMANA ROOBA MAHESHWARA PUTRA....

                                        VIGNA VINAAYAKA PAADHA NAMASTE...."


                              My salutations to  thee,O Lord Ganesha...Destroyer of all evils...

                              The one who rides a Mooshika...has a modakham in his hand...

                              Son of Lord Maheshwara...we bow at your feet...


                              Here is a simple and plain Ganesha portrayed

                              in by me in Tanjore art form...

                              Ganesha or Vinaayaka- The destroyer of obstacles is worshipped

                              first before starting any new venture ...Invoking His blessings ensure

                              smooth and successful completion of the project you have started...

                              You see this Ganesha or vigneshwaraa

                             sitting in a pedestal with his vaahana-Mooshika-at his feet - feasting

                             on his little share of modhakam (kozhukattai) Lord Ganesha's favorite

                             delicacy....and always His special Neivedya on Ganesha Chathurthi......

                             Ganesha is seated on a Tanjore style stone studded golden throne

                              with a bolster cushion...(again another Tanjore style hallmark...)

                              In His four hands,you see him holding  the Ankusha,Paasa,

                              His broken tusk-used to write the Mahabharatha, and His favorite

                              delicacy...that his devotees always offer to Him -the Modhakam...

                               Instead of the traditional Gold and gemstone Tanjore style Mantapam,

                               I have added gold and stone motifs in the upper corners of this painting...

                               That makes it slightly different from the regular Tanjore Paintings...

Tanjore painting-VIGNESHWARA

                     
                          "  GAJANANAM BHOOTHA GANAATHI SEVITHAM
                             KAPITHA JAMBOO PALASAARA BAKSHITHAM
                             UMAA SUDHAM SOKHA VINAASA KAARANAM
                             NAMAAMI VIGNESHWARA  PAADHA PANKAJAM"

                             I bow to thee,Oh LORD VIGNESHWARA
                                   -Destroyer of sadness and problems...
                         



                          The omnipotent Vigna raaja-Destroyer of obstacles-
                           is portrayed here in Tanjore style painting...
                         
                           Since I wanted a relatively simple looking one,
                           I refrained from making a traditional -
                           gold and stone embellished Mantap-but
                           just added a well defined border of red stones...
                           and that embellishes the sacred form of GANESHA.

                            

A different mural....Ganesha...

                                              Even pebbles  and    stones can be transformed
                                              into a thing of beauty and we can have joy forever...

                                             I wanted to do something unique and different...
                                             So I just cut MDF board in an unusual shape...

                                             mounted another cutting and a figure of Ganesha
                                              (Isn't he so flexible- he fits in everywhere!)
                                             And shaped Him with M-Seal and added a Sun

                                            And some holy symbols too...
                                            And worked the background with pebbles and
                                             tiny stones to get a unique ,texture...
                                             
                                             And gave the  piece an antique finish...
                                             with acrylic colors
                                             and metallic paints too...

GANESHA -MY TANJORE PAINTING

"VAKRA THUNDA MAHAA KAAYA

SOORYA KODI SAMPRABHA...

NIRVIGNAM GURAVE DEVA...

SARVA KAARYESHU SARVADAA..."

Ganesha or Ganapathi or Vigneshwara

is an all time favorite theme 

in all Indian arts and crafts...

and Tanjore paintings are no exception...

In fact ,Ganesha is first invoked before

undertaking any significant venture 

which has religious ,cultural or social signifance...

Even before commencing a journey,

it is common to see in all households-

a small prayer is offered to Ganesha and 

coconut is broken before him 

before embarking on a journey...

This Tanjore painting is 20"x16" in size...

It too me just two weeks to finish it 

in spite of my other commitments

and I am sure this would not have been 

possible without Lord Ganesha's blessings...

I love the look of this calm Ganesha

clad in a golden dhothi and vest (kavacham)

his gem encrusted,cushioned, golden seat

arched ,intricately decorated prabhaavali(srivaanji)

The bolster cushion,green curtains ,the yaali,

the delicate lotus on which he rests his foot,

and the little mooshik nibbling on a modhak

 and plates of offerings(neivedyams)

add to the richness and beauty of this traditional painting.