Ganesha with Mooshika

A beautiful Thanjavur reverse glass painting of Ganesha with his vahana (vehicle) Mooshika (mouse). Ganesha, also known as Ganapati, is one of the most loved and most worshiped deities in the Hindu pantheon. He is the god of new beginnings, remover of obstacles, bestower of favours and granter of success. In this artwork, Ganesha is seated on a throne and wears a gold crown, bracelets and necklaces. In the curve of his trunk he holds a pot of milk or perhaps ghee. The upper right hand holds a goad, to push mankind on the road to wisdom and success, the upper left hand a noose of rope to capture obstacles. The lower right hand holds his tusk, broken to write the heroic epic Mahabharata, while the lower left hand holds modakas, an Indian sweet he is very fond of. Above Ganesha is a golden prabhavali (a shimmering arch) with a yali’s face in the centre. A yali is a mythical creature, sometimes described as a leogryph (part lion and part griffin), which is a protective force. Above this are two angels blessing the lord.