Ganesh - 22.5" X 27.5"
Ganesh, son of Shiva and Parvati, has an elephant head with broken tusk and a pot-bellied human body. He travels with (some say on) a mouse, shown in the lower right corner.

His story is most unusual. This is one version: Parvati gave birth to a son and all the goddesses and gods had gathered to celebrate his birth. Lord Shani, the son of Surya (Sun-God) was also present but he refused to look at the infant. Perturbed at this behavior, Parvati asked him the reason. Shani replied that looking at the baby would harm the newborn. Parvati insisted, however, and when Shani looked at the baby, the child's head was severed instantly. All the deities started to bemoan, whereupon Vishnu (preserver of the universe, and part of the triad of Brahma and Shiva, creator and destroyer of the universe, respectively) hurried to the bank of river Pushpabhadra and brought back the head of a young elephant, and joined it to the baby's body, thus reviving it.

Ganesh (sometimes called Ganesha) is Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles, destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride. He is the personification of material universe in all its various magnificent manifestations. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth.

Click on image to return to Images in Cloth.