Buddhist Antiques, Asian and Indian Artifacts, Newari Ganapati

Contemporary Newari Style Painting

Newari White (Sita) Ganapati

Ganesha takes on a somewhat wrathful appearance in the Nepalese region. Newari Buddhism is unique to Nepal and its iconographic depictions are often different from the world of Tibetan Buddhist Art.

Depicted in this beautiful contemporary Newari painting Sita Ganapati is seen dancing in a massive auriole of shooting vermillion flames. These represent the god's wisdom energy-the divine transformative power of Ganapati's presence. Newar and indeed Tibetan thangka painters usually prefer to show Ganapati in profile.

Above his left turned head one can discern a minute crown of skulls, a typical feature of tantric deities symbolizing the conquest of our conventional sense of death. In Ganapati's upper right hand is held a string of prayer beads and the lower right holds a large white radish (mooli) indicative of the elephant god's potent energy. The upper left holds an axe for cutting away the devotees karmas and obstacles that obscure dharmic realization. The lower left hand cups a bowl of laddus, Ganapati's favorite sweet. He is dancing aloft his vahana, the mouse, who turns his head in wonder to observe his master's play.