Ganesh sculpture with stone inlay

Description:	Ganesh or Ganesha is the Hindu elephant-headed god and is known as the Remover of Obstacles and the god of domestic harmony and of success. He is the most beloved and revered of all the Hindu gods and is always invoked first in any Hindu ceremony or festival. Ganesh is the son of Parvati, the wife of Shiva, the Destroyer. Shiva is one of the most fundamental gods of Hinduism. The other gods include Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. This particular figurine is of a dancer with the Ganesh head. Many of the stories and dances come from Hindu epics, such as Mahabharata and Ramayana. Dressed in elaborate and colorful costumes, all of which have important ritual significance, the dancers move in prescribed ways to the accompaniment of heavy drums.
Source:	http://www.digitalindy.org/cdm/ref/collection/tcm/id/925
Collection:	The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Rights:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/;
Copyright:	Creative Commons (CC By-SA 3.0);
Subjects:	Hinduism Gaesá (Hindu deity) India--Civilization--To 1200

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