Hindu Statues – Shiva and Ganesha

Shiva Statues: Shiva, the Lord of the Dance, represents the constant process of creation, preservation and destruction of the universe. Dance is one of the most basic forms of expression in India and here Shiva dances in a ring of fire to symbolize the radiance of his dance.

He steps on a prone figure, symbolic of the ignorance that must be eliminated if a believer is to attain release from the eternal cycle of birth and death. The raised right foot symbolizes this release. In Shiva's upper hands are a drum, symbol of creation, and fire, symbol of destruction.

Shiva is one of the three major Hindu Gods along with Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. Shiva is called the destroyer. However, in Hinduism, destruction is seen not as a negative force, but as an inevitable part of the cycle of life.

You can purchase the Shiva Statue in our Asian Gallery.

Ganesha Statues

Lord Ganesha is the God of Wisdom and Success, one of the most popular Hindu Gods. As the God of Success, his image is to be worshipped before any other gods during Hindu rituals. He is also the God of education, knowledge, wisdom, literature, and the fine arts.

Of course, there is a great amount symbolism in Ganesha statues. The elephant head is a symbol of his immense wisdom gained through the large elephant ears which signify his ability to listen well. The trunk relates to the power of human mind. It must be strong enough to handle the external world, but delicate enough to explore the subtle realms of the inner world.

The four arms indicate that the Lord is omnipresent and omnipotent while the lower right hand is shown in a blessing pose signifying that Ganesha always blesses his devotees. However, Ganesha is often depicted holding a noose in one hand, which symbolizes man's attachment to material desire.

Ganesha is typically depicted with only one tusk, since it is believed he broke off the right tusk and used it to inscribe the Mahabarata, one of the major Hindu religious works. However, others maintain that the two tusks represent wisdom and emotion. The broken left tusk signifies that one must conquer emotions with wisdom to attain perfection.

Lord Ganesha sits on a tray of Laddus signifying the wealth and prosperity that he gave to his devotees. However, a mouse sits near the bottom of the statue to represent the ego that can eat away at the goodness of a person.

Statue.com is proud to offer a replica of this statue in our Asian Gallery.

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