Description: Ganesha, also known as Vinayaka and Pullayar ( in Tamil Nadu) is worshipped as the remover of all obstacles. The elephant-headed god is widely seen in many forms and with different attributes. Here in his palm he holds a sweet offered to him by devotees, and his broken tusk, with which he is believed to have written the Mahabharata narrated by sage Vyasa. Around his belly is wrapped a snake and across his torso is a sacred thread. In this less common Tanjore version of Ganesha, he is shown adorned by a garland of Arugampul or Durva grass, which is believed to be his favourite adornment. In this composition Ganesha also unusually has a white body and black face. He sits in a beautifully gilded prabhavali under a gilded mandapam.
