The many avatars of Ganesha

The founder professor and head of the department of sexual medicine at Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital Dr Prakash Kothari has penned several books in his field of expertise So to see a book titled Ganesha Through the Ages authored by him might come as a surprise but there is an interesting story here A passionate collector of erotica Dr Kothari often makes weekend trips to flea markets and Chor Bazaar and it was here that he came across a terracotta sealing with a bull a symbol of virility and an inscription in the Brahmi scriptAn 18thcentury sculpture of the Trinetra Ganesha depicts the god with a third eye drawing from the Shiva referenceI was toying with it when I realised that the sealing had Ganesha on its back with two hands and a halo recalls the Padma Shri recipient To authenticate his find he reached out to the late archaeologist MK Dhavilkar TS Ravishankar of The Archaeological Survey of India and Dr Shailendra Bhandare of The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology University of Oxford who all traced it back to the period between the 1st and 4th centuries AD What made things more interesting is that the oldest Ganesha with epigraphic evidence is believed to be one that was found in China in 531 AD And even by the most conservative estimate this Ganesha was at least 200 years older says Dr KothariThe terracotta sealing dated between the 1st and 4th centuries depicting Ganesha with two hands and a haloThese and many more of his finds pertaining to the elephant god have made their way into the book which was launched yesterday alongside an exhibition featuring Ganeshas portrayal on glass and porcelain moulds ageold coins Indian and foreign philately and other postal stationery and even on stamp papers matchbox labels and jewellery items like finger rings earrings pendants and bracelets Up until now I was enjoying the beauty of these rare finds within a close circle of family and friends but I realised its perhaps time to share it in a book he saysGanesha as angasanga dating back to the 6th centuryElaborating on the collection Dr Kothari shares some more facts Most Western and Eastern researchers based on the myths and folktales surrounding Ganesha believed that he was a Vighnakarta or creator of obstacles until the 6th century AD when he became Vighnaharta the one who alleviates obstacles he says adding that with the halo accompanying his portrayal in as early as the 4th century its perhaps time to relook at the contentionGanesha and Saraswati on the cover of KokashastraThere is also an angasanga of the god that finds a mention in the book Dating back to the 6th century it is a small object of personal worship that people would carry with them while travelling as they couldnt carry a fullfledged idol of the deity they prayed to While there are coins dating back to the Maratha period there is another rare brass statue of the Trinetra Ganesha from the 18th century alluding to the third eye of Lord ShivaBut much like his terracotta sealing find there is another discovery that combines his passion and profession I came across a copy of Kokashastra a medieval Indian text on an erotic theme with Ganesha and Saraswati on the cover Dr Kothari shares That just goes to show how open we were as a society back then where sex was not tabooTillSeptember 2 11 am to 7 pmAT Jehangir Art Gallery MG Road Fort CALL 22843989 Catch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates