Chitrakar - Painter, Illustrator, Writer

Shiva Consciousness – 3

As the Ganatantric (Republican) considerations gathered momentum in prehistoric India, creation of a symbol to represent the concept of Ganapati became imperative. However the task of developing the imagery of this symbol was indeed a highly creative challenge. On the one hand it needed the groove created by Shiva-Parvati symbolism, while on the other; it was expected to register an important breakthrough in the Shiva-Parvati groove.

Eventually, the creative people in the past arrived at an elephant herd that had an organised structure like the one envisaged for a mammoth organisation of a Ganatantra (गणतंत्र). Just as the strongest and valorous elephant in the herd was its natural chief, the most virtuous among the (सुखकर्ता) designers, (दुखःहर्ता) order creators and the (विघ्नहर्ता) system makers was to be the chief Ganapati. Just as the herd’s other elephants are found protecting the younger ones, Ganapatis working under their chief were expected to protect and ensure the progress of the virtuous and not so virtuous among the common public.

An elephant’s long trunk and massive ears suggested a strong sensory system that supported the elephant’s brain which maintained the balance of its huge body. This quality was found important for a chief of a Ganatantra. This explains the mystery behind the elephant head of the Ganapati as an icon’s symbolism. I hope this will nullify the theory that an elephant head was transplanted on the human body with some kind of surgery.

Here the fact that the image of Ganapati was an important breakthrough in icon making; was of utmost significance. It throws sufficient light on the creative faculties of pre-historic Indians who believed in preserving a lion-like quality of looking back from time to time, while maintaining an onward march.
This was the very manner of the white men of the 14th century Europe. They ‘looked back’ beyond the Dark Age in Europe and picked up the classicism from the zenith of the Roman Empire. Thus they became a super power between 1900 and 2000 A.D.

More about symbolism of the Ganapati concept in my next post.