The Ganesh Group

This group of musical and dancing Ganeshas is unique in the world. Not even India has a collection quite like this. Between 6ft and 9ft in height and weighing between 3 and a half to five tonnes each, they represent the absolute best of traditional Indian craftsmanship – with an Irish twist. It took the sculptor D.V. Murugan of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu seven years to complete the group. Note the Irish Ganesh (locally called Paddyganesh, because he’s playing an Oileann Pipe and wearing a Donegal tweed cap) on the right side. To see all the 9 Ganeshas of Victor’s Way (Sanskrit: Jina Marga) in detail click here.

So that both the clay artists and I could get a clear picture of the art-work I had in mind I commissioned the artist D.V. Murugan to create the oil painting below, entitled “Ganesha’s coming of age party”. The picture has been copied countless times and has spread all over India where it is most often used as PC desktop background.