Images of Siddhi Vinayaka

Vinayaka is popularly known by different names like Siddhi Vinayaga, Ganesa, Ganapati and Pillaiyar.^[1] He is regarded as the eldest son of Siva and his consort Parvati.^[2] Mudgala Purana mentions thirty two forms of Vinayaka. In the name Ganapati, 'Ga' stands for wisdom, 'na' for moksha or the salvation of soul, emancipation, and 'pati' for omnipotence^[3].Muruga Purana mentions thirty two forms of Vinayaka.^[4] Siva Purana narrates a legend relating to 'Vinayaka's birth.

Once Parvati created a figure of a child with sand and gave it life. Seeing, the same Siva sent invitations to the devas to celebrate the birth of a son. All the devas assembled at Kailaya. Sani (Saturn), the genius of the planet was also present. His eyesight fell on the charming child and hence its head got cut asunder and it also disappeared. Parvati was grief-stricken. Siva ordered the attendants to fetch the head of an animal sleeping with its head on-the north in the forest. Accordingly they went and brought the head of an elephant. Siva fitted the head on the body of the child and generated it. Parvati was glad. Siva nominated the son with the elephant face as the Lord of the Ganas.^[5]

Ganapatyam one of the six sects of the Hindu religious worship, holds Vinayaka as the primordial God.^[6] In Vishnu temples Vinayaka is worshipped as Tumbikkai Alvar.^[7]

A female form of Vinayaka is called Ganesani. An image of Ganesani is found in the Amman shrine of Sthanumalayapperumal temple in Sucindram. His image known as Vyagrapada Ganesani is also found near the Dvarapala figure in the Kambatadi mandapa of Sri Minakshi Amman temple at Madurai.

Heramba Ganapati with five heads seated on a lion is found in Tyagesvara temple in Tiruverriyur and in Kayaroganes temple in Nagapattinam.^[8] Bandicoot is the vahana of Vinayaka. In some places the lion is shown as his vahana. Vinayaka worship is prevalent not only in Hindu religion but also in Buddihism and Jainism.

Vinayaka images are prevalent in Tamil country right from the 7^thcentury AD.^[9] There is no reference of Vinayaka in the Sangam literary works. Vinayaka figure is found for the first time in the Vasantesvara cave temple at Vallam.^[10] On the south side of this temple facade is a niche which contains a fine relief of Ganesa^[11]. Ganesa figures are shown on the walls of Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram.^[12]

Ganapati is recognised as one of the Ashta Parivara devatas.^[13] Near the Vinayaka image found outside the Kailasanatha temple in Paramesvaramangalam there is a slab bearing an inscription. It is perhaps dated to the fifteenth, regnal years of the Pallava King Nirupatungavarman and records that a Brahmin lady constructed a shrine for Vinayaka in the Kailasanatha temple and consecrated it. She also endowed a gift of paddy for lamps and worship.^[14] Generally regarded Vinayaka as an unmarried God (a Brahmachari). But he has a wife by name Vallabhai. Ganapati with Vallabhai is known as Vallabhi Ganapati. There is also a version that he married two wives by name Siddhi and Buddhi and be got two sons by name Kshema and Labha. Vinayaka with the trunk turned towards the right side is called Valampuri Vinayaka while the one with the trunk turned to the left is called Idampuri Vinayak.

In the Siva temples of early period of the Chola period, Vinayaka figures were set up in the southern niches of the ardhamandapa. A separate shrine is also assigned for Vinayaka in the south west corner of the inner prakara.

There is a Vinayaka image shown in the western devakostha of the arthamandapa under worship within the premises of Adavalleswarar temple at Munnur, in a standing pose. A standing image represents on the pedestal.

The sculpture of Siddhi Vinayaga is shown in the prakara of the temple. The image is executed with common iconographic features Vinayaka figure appears with an elephant face, three eyes, elephant ears, plump body, pot-belly and fleshy organs. He has four arms. He grasps an ankusa and a pasa in kataka hasta in his upper right and left hands respectively. He holds a broken tusk in his lower right hand and a modaka (rice-pudding) in his lower left hand. The lolling trunk which is regarded to be the fifth arm reaches his abdomen and curves on the left side. He is bedecked with several ornaments. A short karandamakuta is seen on his head. His neck is adorned with a broad kanthi. Armlets on the arms, valayas on the wrists decorate his hands. He wears a naga for sacred thread. It runs from the left shoulder to the right arm and rests on the waist. There is an udarabandha round his belly. The loin-cloth is simple and is above his knee. Nupuras and padasaras are found on his feet. The trunk of Vinayaga is shown as turned towards the left. Siddhi Vinayaka shrine^[15] is attested by two inscriptions of Munnur.^[16]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

K. Srikanta Iyer, "The Popular View of Ganesa in Madras, "Journal of Oriental Research, June 1901, The Indian Antiquary, 30, 1985, 255.

[2]:

V.N. Srinivasa Desikan, Op.Cit., p. 43.

[3]:

T.A. Gopinatha Rao, Op.Cit., Vol. I, Pt. I, pp. 46-47.

[4]:

H. Krishna Sastri, Op.Cit., p. 173.

[5]:

S. Dandapani Desikar, Ganapati, Tiruvavaduthurai, (Tamil) 1956, pp. 16-17.

[6]:

R. Nagaswami, Tantric Cult of South India, Delhi, 1982, p. 145.

[7]:

Murugadasa Swamigal, Kaumara Vilakkam Ennum Samaya, Valipattumurai Toguppu, Villupuram, 1978, p. 88.

[8]:

N.R. Murugavel, Op.Cit., pp. 17-19.

[9]:

K.C. Kamalaiya, Tamilaga Kalai Varalaru, Chennai, 1985, p. 1-15.

[10]:

D.R. Rajeswari, Op.Cit., p. 31.

[11]:

R. Nagaswami, Op.Cit., p. 143.

[12]:

D.R. Rajeswari, Op.Cit., p, 65.

[13]:

S.R. Balasubrahmaniyam, Op.Cit., pp. 327-329.

[14]:

Ibid., pp. 207-208.

[15]:

A.R.E., 65 of 1919.

[16]:

A.R.E., 81 of 1919.