Shifting meanings of an Icon

Dissertation submitted for the Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism at the Asian College of Journalism 2010-2011 Aditi Raman - Roll 008
I take immense pleasure in thanking my principal supervisor Dr. Arvind Sivaramakrishnan for his support and able guidance which helped me finish the dissertation in time. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. Nalini Rajan for taking keen interest and giving me useful suggestions for my project.

Contents

Introduction
1. Ganesha in the social and political realm 2. State of current public celebrations 3. Ganesha in popular culture 4. Media coverage of the milk miracle 5. Rare forms of Ganesha 6. Controversies 7. Environmental hazards due to idol immersion 8. Conclusion

3 4 11 18 21 23 30 34 38 39

Bibliography

Introduction

It is simply amazing to see just how many carved images, idols and pictures of Indian gods dominate the entrance portals of Hindu temples, public buildings and even private homes. But how I got interested in studying Lord Ganesha? - His iconography surpasses the rest.

Ganesha, the elephant-faced Hindu god, who bestows wisdom and gives success in all undertakings, has come to occupy a very different position in the Hindu pantheon today. Once revered as the remover of obstacles, Ganesha today faces the pressure of fitting into multiple roles. He is a political weapon who unites the Hindus, sets aside the Muslims and amuses the foreigners.

He circles round the globe through social networking sites like Twitter and Orkut, as his age old companion, the mouse has been replaced by its electronic version. Ganesha has become omnipresent in the literal sense of the word.

Lord Ganesha also has a female counterpart, Ganeshani, a figure I stumbled upon while casually browsing the internet, which actually triggered my interest into the deity and compelled me to choose him as the topic of my dissertation.

Through this dissertation I wish to trace the changes that Lord Ganesha underwent as an icon. His devotees changed him from being a rural deity of the 16 th Century to a National deity to achieve political gains in 19th century and reduced him a mere design for wallpapers, screensavers and body tattoos in the 21st century.

Ganesha in the Social and Political realm

There have been three major appropriations of Lord Ganesha in the history of Pune. The first was by the Peshwas. The second was when Lokamanya Tilak started Ganeshotsava in 1893. The third and the ridiculous appropriation of Ganesha has been by Suresh Kalmadi, the politician.1

Lord Ganesha has been much celebrated in the Marathi literary tradition. It is of course well known that throughout India no traditional performance can begin without Ganesha Vandana, a prayer to Ganesha, invoking his support and blessings for the performance.

However, the history of celebration as most believe goes back to the year 1893 when Lokamanya Tilak himself placed an idol of Lord Ganesha in Vinchurkar Wada, Maharashtra, India and started the Ganeshotsava (festival of Ganesha).2

According to the Sanatan Society for Scientific Spirituality website, prior to starting the public celebration, the Hindus were disunited and pressed down by the Westerners. Hence Tilak decided to unite the youth of the country by making Ganesha Chaturthi a public celebration. However, Lord Ganesha Yet

Lord Ganesha and His Historical Plight EPW, August 24, 2002 Diligent Media Corporation Limited - DNA correspondent - 2010

Again, an article published in Economic and Political Weekly on October 19, 2002 claims that it is a misconception that Tilak popularised the godhead in the land of Marathas.3

But one cannot deny that this festival occupies a central place in Maharashtras cultural and political life. Lord Ganesha set off as a rural deity4 in Maharashtra, and being a god of the performing arts as defined by Mukteswar, a 16th century poet, he soon came to be a preserve of the lower castes.

A popular proverb which goes in Marathi (language of the Maharashtrians), Bamnaghari livne, kunbyaghari dane, ani maharaghari gane, (go to a Brahmin for writing, to a Kunbi for grain, and to a Mahar for singing).5 Hence, Ganesha was predominantly a non-Brahmin god, at least in Maharashtra, but the Brahmans and the ruling classes started appropriating the god, gradually bringing him into their fold.

The Peshwas usurped political power from the Maratha rulers and built several Ganesha temples surrounding the city of Pune.6 They built eight Ganesha temples in a circle, with the city of Pune in the centre, thereby giving rise to the strong tradition of worshipping the AshtaVinayakas (eight Ganesha temples). Soon the city of Pune got its own Gramadaivata (deity of the town) as Ganesha. It was the temple here in Pune which Tilak had first visited soon after being released from jail.7

The Peshwas were therefore successful in making Ganesha the national deity of Maharashtrians. This was also the first political use of the deity in the history of Maharashtra8. They saw Ganesha like many other gods in the Hindu pantheon to be essentially Hindu. The caste factor had not sunk in yet.

3 4

Lord Ganesha Yet Again, October 19, 2002 Lord Ganesha and His Historical Plight EPW, August 24, 2002 5 Lord Ganesha and His Historical Plight EPW, August 24, 2002 6 www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pune
7 8

Lord Ganesha and His Historical Plight EPW, August 24, 2002 Lord Ganesha and His Historical Plight EPW, August 24, 2002

The second appropriation of the lord came at the time of Lokamanya Tilak who popularised the tradition of worshipping Ganesha in an attempt to unite the Hindus.9

The third appropriation came when Suresh Kalmadi, (a congress party worker) wanted to give shape to his political career by interfering into the cultural arena to gain publicity. Declaring the term utsava as outdated, he changed it to festival. So, Ganesha Utsava became the Ganesha festival. He later changed it to the Pune festival, which ironically did not have anything to do with Pune. As EPW comments, he drained the festival of all local things, except what can be presented as an ethnic exotica 10 However, today the scene has changed to some extent and the festival has come back to celebrate the Punekars Ganeshotsav.11 (Ganesha festival of Pune)

Tamil Nadu
The increasing popularity of the Vinayaka festival in Tamil Nadu under the auspices of the Hindu Munnani is another example of the Sangh Parivars successful appropriation of localised, traditional Hindu rituals to create a wider Hindu unity. Though internal divisions of caste and class remain, as does factionalism among different Hindu organisations in the state, the primary goal for the Parivar in the utilisation of such rituals is to persuade all Hindus to become conscious of belonging to a single, majority community, rather than to initiate a campaign of social engineering to overcome caste divisions.
12

The state of Tamil Nadu eagerly awaits the fourth day of Bhadrapada, (August-September) every year to celebrate Vinayaka Chaturthi. But the scale of celebrations is not as big as in Maharashtra.13

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pune - 9 March 2011 Lord Ganesha and His Historical Plight EPW, August 24, 2002 11 www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pune - 9 March 2011 12 The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001 13 The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001
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It was in 1983 in the city of Chennai (Madras) on Chaturthi day in, when a few Hindu activists belonging to the Hindu Munnani (Hindu Front), founded in early 1980s, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had installed an image of Ganesha in a public place near a temple in West Mambalam, a suburb in the south-west of the city.14

Within months, the number of idols increased and soon it reached the heart of the city, Triplicane. In 1990, for the first time, Chennai witnessed a procession of many tall images accompanied by thousands of Hindus, leading to a bloody riot with Muslims near the Ice House mosque in Triplicane. 15 Before the 1995 festival, the Hindu Munnanis president had claimed that the immersion processions would take place in every panchayat district in the state.16

As C. J. Fuller 17 remarks, the festivals principal initiators in every locality of the city, have been the activists belonging to the RSS, BJP and the other allied organisations of the Sangh parivar. These organisations are fanatic when it comes to promoting the Hindu ideology.

The Munnani group which has played a politico-religious role similar to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP, an Indian Hindu organisation) in north India, had split internally in 1995-96, and the two groups, the Munnani and the smaller group, the Hindu Makkal Katchi (Hindu Peoples Party) have been conducting separate celebrations in different parts of the city, ending their processions on different days since then. Neither gave up.18

14 15

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4410605 - C J Fuller May 12, 2001 The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001 16 The Hindu, June 28, 1995 17 The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001 18 http://www.jstor.org/stable/4410605 - C J Fuller May 12, 2001

The Munnani was inclined towards the Jayalalitha led All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) from 1991 to 1996 but was cut off from the government as soon as Karunanidhi led DMK returned to power in 1996.19

The 1995 festival had seen a lot of violence. The government had to divert the processional route away from the Ice House mosque in Triplicane. But when the 1999 state elections took place during the Vinayaka Chaturthi, political implications became prominent. Hence, Vinayaka Chaturthi became a vehicle to disseminate Hindutva ideology.20

As we are followers of idol worship, any religious celebration demands a good supply of images of the idol. Images vary in sizes. They range from one foot to as high as ten to fifteen feet. Generally very tall images are often made on the spot to prevent the problem of transportation. Chennai in particular has seen some images crossing even thirty feet in height.

For many years, the height was deliberately increased as a provocative sign of the festivals success. In the late 1990s the government decided to restrict the height to eighteen feet but only those imposed by the railway and flyover bridges proved to be effective.21

19 20

The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001 The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001 21 The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001

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Wilson Quarterly - Religion takes to the streets. Crowded public demonstrations of religious faith like this Ganesha chaturthi festival in Bombay are increasingly commonplace throughout India. -- Goa
Idols manufactured were expensive and mostly unaffordable by poor people. The Munnani, to ensure maximum participation, donated most of the images with an understanding that the poor buy it the next year. This proves that the Munnanis underlying objective was to maximize the number of images stalled. They also made sure that there is significant presence of very tall images in the primary locations of the city. In Chennai, since the 1980s the festivals epicenter has been the Tiruvatiswaram temple, Triplicane.22

In Chennai where the procession generally takes place on a Sunday, so as to ensure maximum participation, the festival like Maharashtra does not go on for 10 days. The ideal model for the procession is that all the images singly or in small groups progressively join together as a big procession.

In Chennai in the late 1980s the number of the images rose at a fast pace and by the end of 1990s the total number shot up to around six thousand five hundred. Untill 1992, images from all over the city used to join and pass through Triplicane but since 1993, the single procession was divided into three to reduce the threat of conflict in Triplicane, an area with a mixed population, with a predominance of muslims.23
22 23

The Hindu, august 29, 1995 The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001

11

The procession through Triplicane poses a serious problem every year as the young men who go past the mosque or churches and cross Muslim and Christian dwellings are often drunk and cause much ruckus.

But one must remember that effective police controlling alone does not ensure a peaceful religious ceremony because these processions are so designed that the Hindu presence be felt everywhere.24 By installing large Vinayaka images and dominating the public domain, the Munnanis use of the festival is no different from Shiv Sena; demonstrating its ability to manage the city and appear as an alternative power.

The leaders also try to get as many women and children to gain maximum prominence. To attract women, the Munnani organises religious and cultural events during Vinayaka Chaturthi, the most popular being the Tiruvilakku puja (holy lamp worship) when large groups of women gather at the site of worship.

According to C J Fuller, lamp worshipping which came to Tamil Nadu in the year 2000 has seen a considerable rise in women participation since then.

Besides lamp worship, several other programmes were organised to attract crowds such as blood donation camps, devotional singing, ladies oratory, and a children fancy dress competition. But over the years, people have started pulling out from it because of its provocatively communal climax.25

The Munnani has also played on the dalit card by incorporating large parts of the poor dalit population of Triplicane. The Brahmin volunteers lured these poor dalit men by not only donating images but also engaging them in the crucial responsibilities behind the organisation of the festival.
24 25

The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001 The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001

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These dalit slum dwellers were also directed against the muslims, whom they attacked in the riots during the procession in 1991. They were hence, successful in forging a collective identity among the dalits of the triplicane slums. The participation of a dalit woman in 1999, in leading the lamp worship was another significant event.26 But in spite of trying very hard to eliminate the internal divisions of caste and class, the Munnani havent been so successful.

Looking back over Vinayaka celebrations since the mid 1980s, the most striking feature is the sheer scale and rapidity of its expansion from one little event in Chennai to the huge public festival celebrated all over the state of Tamil Nadu.27

The scenario however is much different now. Current Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations reflect a disunited and corrupt state of the country. What we see today is the sheer commercialisation of western Indian culture.

State of current public celebrations

These days, the ten day frenzy which includes music, plays and politics, is a scene much different from Tilaks time, when there was no hint of communalism or vulgarity attached to it. An occasional riot or a stone throwing incident these days is not surprising.

The riot in Miraj (Sangali, Maharashtra) 3rd September 2009, went on for two days but failed to get any media attention. Some Muslims who had taken an objection to a scene depicting Shivaji slaying Afzal Khan, (a Mughal Sardar in the Court of Aurangzeb, notorious for severing a Hindu idol near Kolhapur)28
26 27

The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001 The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001 28 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shivaji - 13 March 2011

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had immediately destroyed three Lord Ganesha idols and then beat Hindus in the area.29 But no action was taken. The Chaturthi celebrations have become a costly affair, running into crores. There is a great deal of wastage of both man-hours and money. The expenditure incurred in this celebration is enormous. It involves people ranging from the ordinary volunteer to the state police force and the coast guard personnel who have to maintain law and order, especially in a city like Mumbai, during the immersion ceremony of the idols.

29

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti - 2011

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Hyderabad

Chennai

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In Mumbai alone there are more than three thousand five hundred different groups celebrating the festival.30 In addition there are lakhs of idols worshipped in the homes of people. One can only imagine the total number of idols in the entire state. The expenditure on coconuts, idols, lighting, decorations, entertainment programs and processions is virtually unimaginable. As Kushal Verma, a resident of Santa Cruz, Mumbai, observes, Unfortunately, so much money and energy goes into the celebrations. Despite so much investment, our society does not get the spiritual and social benefit in return. For the modern generation the Ganesha celebration has become a farce. The noise pollution is also immense. As EPW quotes, We are unmindful of the fact that Mukteswar, a 17th century poet had composed a beautiful poem on Ganesha as a performing artist. If that poem would have survived in popular memory, the noisy evenings in Pune and Mumbai would still have been poetic.31 Another big problem is the funding and donation. Under the pretext of Ganesha celebrations, funds are collected through coercion and cheating. Organisers ask for donations and sometimes conduct lotteries to sponsor the entertainment programs.
30 31

Sanathan Sanstha Sanatan society for scientific spirituality Lord Ganesha and His Historical Plight EPW, August 24, 2002

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One of the many examples of fake lotteries is the one conducted in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.32 According to Sanatan Society for Scientific Spirituality, once (year not mentioned) in the Sindhudurg district, lottery tickets worth rupees 125 each were sold and results not declared. Interestingly, those who approached the organisers to inquire about the draw were refunded their money. People who donate huge amounts for such a festival are also the main organizers of the same and interestingly, most of the big committees celebrating this festival are controlled by politicians and the mafia. They do everything possible to attract maximum crowds. This is how orchestras, sensuous songs, movies and children competitions have gained a foothold in these functions. These days the whole extravaganza of procession and immersion of the Ganesha idols has also changed colour. The procession moves at a snail's pace. In 1998 in Nasik a procession consisting of about 24 Ganesha idols continued for more than 12 hours.33 There was a time lag of more than three and a half hours between the immersions of the first two idols. All efforts of the Police officials to disperse the crowd quickly were in vain. In another instance, in Pune, the Ganesha immersion procession lasted for 28 hours and 25 minutes. The procession consisted of 1560 small groups with Ganesha idols. The record breaking time of the procession in Pune prior to this was 29 hours. 34 Such processions are physically strenuous and mentally stressful to the police personnel, who are trapped in the procession for hours. As they are unable to take control of the massive crowd, the goons exploit the situation to the fullest. Miss Nita Hendre's father had to lodge a missing report at a Pune police station on 23rd September, (year not known) but since the police personnel were occupied in preparations for the Ganesha procession no cognizance of the complaint was taken. 35 On the night of 24th September her dead body was found near the Svargate police line in a thickly populated residential area.
32 33

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti - 2011 Sanathan Sanstha Sanatan society for scientific spirituality 34 Sanathan Sanstha Sanatan society for scientific spirituality 35 www.sanatan.org/en/campaigns/Ganesh/page2.htm

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In order to prevent such mishaps and, many people organise their own individual processions. As these do not get over with the long procession, the stress induced on the police force, especially the traffic cell is only enhanced. The processions disturb the people residing in the vicinity of the procession route. In the year 2009, the Vengurla traders association had requested for a change in the route of the procession in Vengurla (a town in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra) from the marketplace to the bus terminus because they were being harassed by the men in the procession who were throwing gulal (a red coloured powder) on them. They were also dragged out of their shops, assaulted and abused with other people on the street. The hooligans were also throwing burning crackers into their shops. In addition to this the party on its return from the procession had destroyed electrical appliances in the shop by pushing their hands in through slits in the showcases of the shop.36 Some people have also resorted to immersing Ganapati idols in sewage canals, drinking water tanks and small ponds, which pollutes the small water reservoirs as broken parts of the idols are found floating in the water for many days thereafter. Many a times, some organising committees pay a certain amount and employ contractors to undertake the task of immersion of the idol, Govind Krishnan, a priest in Madhya Kailash Temple. In Mumbai every year seventy to eighty thousand Ganapati idols are immersed at about fifty places. The municipality has to make about 1,900 lamps, 18-20 generators and 4 searchlights on an average, available along the coastline during that time. The traffic is totally closed on about 14 roads; 39 roads have only one way traffic, 26 have no parking areas and 10 are closed to heavy vehicular traffic in Mumbai.37 The trees on the procession route have to be trimmed and roads have to be repaired. At Chowpatty, in Mumbai, temporary roads are constructed. The crowds gathering for the procession of immersion at Chowpatty, Mumbai are the largest in Asia.
36 37

Sanathan Sanstha Sanatan society for scientific spirituality www.sanatan.org/en/campaigns/Ganesh

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Great efforts have to be put in by the police to control the crowd. Even in neighboring cities the police force is utilized to handle significantly large crowds in its proportion. There are so many cases of missing children in these events. All these preparations have to be commenced around a month and a half prior to the festival and an expenditure of approximately two to two and a half crores is incurred. The picture in other cities is more or less similar.38

Ganesha Chaturthi has literally become a farce, where as soon as the rituals like moving lit lamps (arti), ritualistic worship (puja), making offerings to the deity (tirtha prasad); paying obeisance to The Lord (kirtan) get over, orchestras and songs commence to attract crowds.
Ganesha idols have also been experimented with widely. Some examples are:

Papaya Ganesha - September 5, 2010, (ANI) A papaya tree grown in the premises of the rural water supply and sanitation department office in Orissas Bhubaneswar city attracted many devotees of Ganesha as reportedly, the tree had borne a fruit in the shape of Lord Ganesha. With Ganesha Chaturthi approaching, the emergence of a fruit meant a lot to the worshippers.39 In another instance, Lord Ganesha was appeased with 1111 lamps in Thane (Maharashtra) on Sept 11, 2008 (ANI) by Pravin Joshi, a devotee. He had tied 1111 lamps to his body, danced and offered prayers in front of the Ganesha idol on the occasion of Ganesha Utsav.40 In the year 2009, in Kolhapur and Margao, Maharashtra, the Ganesha idol worshipped in the public celebrations were in the form of Saints, Swami Samarth of Akkalkot and Saibaba of Shirdi, respectively.41
38 39

Sanathan Sanstha Sanatan society for scientific spirituality http://www.andhranews.net/India/2010/September/5-Papaya-shaped-Lord-Ganesha-attracts-38574.asp 40 http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india

41

http://www.sanatan.org/en/campaigns/Ganesh/page3.htm

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In Kalyan, on the station road there was an organising committee, which had created a Ganesha idol from medical appliances. The trunk was made from syringes, the ears from kidney trays, the crown from saline bottles, the hands from gloves and the eyes from capsules.42

In Tamil Nadu, the rat is seen to have become quite unpopular over the years and Vinayaka is seen on a large swan or a lion instead. Unconventional innovations are particularly common in Chennai. Some striking examples in 1999 and 2000 were Vinayaka represented as another god, like Venkateswara, Narsimha, or half Vinayak and half Hanuman. He was also represented as Shivaji, Shirdi Sai Baba, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. In 1999 the images were of Kargil Vinayak depicting the god on a field gun or tank in commemoration of Indias recent victory over Pakistan.43 Another example of such experimentation is Lord Ganeshas idol in Vizag which was decorated with vegetables to protest inflation. It was on September 12, 2010 in Vishakapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) when the idol had been made of black soil and decorated with pulses and vegetables as an act of protest against the high level of inflation.44

However, its not just the festivals alone, where one gets to see the rising popularity of the Lord.

Ganesha in popular culture

With the number of movies, songs, tattoo arts and paintings being made on him, one might say that he has become more than just a deity in every household. As a movie title suggests rightly, Ganesha has become, My Friend Ganesha.

42 43

http://www.sanatan.org/en/campaigns/Ganesh/page3.htm The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu - EPW, May 12, 2001 44 www.andhranews.net/India/2010

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A Best traffic advertisement of the year read with a picture of Lord Ganesha saying: "Take Care of your head. Not everyone gets a replacement like me :) Take Care.45 Websites and Web Blogs dedicated to Ganesha advice what steps that one should take to avail maximum benefit from the public celebration of Ganesha Chaturthi, how should the Ganesha festival organising committee function et cetera.

People begin searching for Ganesha Chaturthi SMS (phone messages), flood the Orkut, Facebook and Twitter websites with scraps, download Bhakti Songs and Ganesha Mantras (verses) on the internet search engines in the festive season. Ganesha jokes, wallpapers, screensavers, fun phone messages and body tattoos become extremely popular. For example one such phone message read: Wishing you happiness as big as Ganeshas appetite, life is long as his trunk, trouble as small as his mouse, and moments as sweet as his laddus, Sending you warm wishes on Ganesha Chaturthi.46
Ganesha has been a very media savvy god too. Remember the milk miracle? It was a rare phenomenon not just in India but all around the world.

45

http://www.shreeGanesha.com/ www.best-quotes-poems.com/.../ganesh-chaturthi-quotes-sayings

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Media coverage of the milk miracle

For those who believe, an explanation is unnecessary. For those, who dont believe, an explanation is impossible. - St. Bernadette of Lourdes

The Hindu milk miracle was considered by many Hindus as a miracle, which occurred on September 21, 1995.47 Before dawn, a Hindu worshiper at a temple in New Delhi had made an offering of milk to a statue of Ganesha. When a spoonful of milk from the bowl was held up to the trunk of the statue, the liquid was seen to disappear apparently taken in by the idol. The word of the event had spread quickly, and by mid-morning it was found that statues of the entire Hindu pantheon in temples all over North India were taking in milk.48

By noon the news had spread beyond India, and Hindu temples in Britain, Canada, Dubai, and Nepal among other countries were also experiencing the same. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) announced that a miracle was occurring.49

The miracle had a significant effect on the areas around major temples. Dense traffic in New Delhi lasted until late in the evening. Many stores in areas with significant Hindu communities saw a massive jump in sales of milk, with one Gateway store in England selling over 25,000 pints of milk50 and overall milk sales in New Delhi jumped over 30 percent.51 Minor temples were struggling to accommodate the crowds and queues were spilling out into the streets reaching distances of over a mile.

47 48

Suzanne Goldenberg, "India's gods milk their faithful in a brief 'miracle'", The Guardian, Sep 22, 1995 Pakistan Hindu Post 2010 49 Pakistan Hindu Post 2010 50 David Wooding, "Cow do they do that?", The Sun, September 22, 1995. 51 Tim McGirk, "India's thirsty statues drink the nation dry", The Independent, September 22, 1995

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Seeking to explain the phenomenon, scientists from India's Ministry of Science and Technology travelled to a temple in New Delhi and made an offering of milk containing a food colouring. As the level of liquid in the spoon dropped, the scientists theorized that after the milk disappeared from the spoon, it coated the statue beneath where the spoon was placed. With this result, the scientists offered capillary action as an explanation; the surface tension of the milk was pulling the liquid up and out of the spoon, before gravity caused it to run down the front of the statue. 52

This explanation did nothing to reduce the numbers of devotees rushing to the temples. To those who believed in the miracle, further proof was offered when the phenomenon seemed to cease before the end of the day, with many statues refusing to take more milk even before noon.53 The story was picked up, mostly as a novelty piece, by news services around the world, including CNN, the BBC, the New York Times and the Guardian.

2006 - The miracle had occurred again on 20-21 August 2006 in almost exactly the same fashion in the city of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, from where it quickly spread throughout India. 54 However, rationalists were heavily skeptical about the issue, attributing it to capillary action yet again.55 2008 It happened again on January 13/14, 2008.56 2010 - Trinidad Express Newspaper reported on 22 September, 2010 that Ganesha murtis (statues of Hindu god Ganesha) "drank" or accepted milk at Om Shanti Mandir (temple), Cunjal Road, Princes Town, Trinidad on 21 September, 2010 on the occasion of the holy period of Ganesha Utsav.57

52 53

Suzanne Goldenberg, "India's gods milk their faithful in a brief 'miracle'", The Guardian, September 22, 1995 Meenhal Baghel, "Awed devotees witness Shiva miracle across country", The Asian Age, Sep 22, 1995. 54 Shaveta Bansal, "Devotees Throng Temples To See Hindu Deities Drinking Milk", All Headline News, August 21, 2006 55 "Milk-drinking gods just plain science", Press Trust of India, August 21, 2006
56 57

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exoCi2N2VxA Ariti Jankie (Sep 22, 2010). "Ganesha murtis 'drink' milk". Trinidad Express

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Television stations including CNN and BBC, radio and newspapers including Washington post, New York Times, The Guardian and Daily Express eagerly covered this unique phenomenon.58

Rare forms of Ganesha

Perhaps the most famous Ganesha temple in India is the Uchi Pillaiyar Koyil at Trichy59, built on a hilltop with the river Kaveri flowing below. Another large Ganesha temple is the Pillaiyarpatti Temple near Karaikudi in Ramanathapuram District, also in Tamil Nadu. In New Delhi there is the Siddhi Buddhi Vinayagar temple situated in Vinayanagar. The Mukkuruni Pillaiyar, rising upto ten to twelve feet inside the huge Meenakshi Temple complex in Madurai, India is also famous. Mukkuruni refers to a large measure of rice (about forty pounds) and here the priests cook a huge modaka (sweet) ball for Ganesha using this measure. Hence its name is Mukkuruni Pillaiyar.60 Some rare and interesting aspects of Ganesha are found in some temples of India such as the image of Bala Ganapathi (child) crawling on his hands like a baby at Vellore in Andhra Pradesh, the image of

58 59

http://www.milkmiracle.com/ - Sep 23, 2010 What Is Hinduism? Modern Adventures Into a Profound Global Faith - By Editors of Hinduism Today What Is Hinduism? Modern Adventures Into a Profound Global Faith - By Editors of Hinduism Today

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Ganesha holding a flute just like Krishna (another Hindu god) at Madurai, a female aspect of Ganesha called Ganeshini at Suchindra and Madurai and a five headed Heramaba Ganapathi riding a lion at Nagapattinam.61

The most interesting form of Ganesha which is also highly contested is his female form, also called Vinayaki, Ganeshani, Surpakarni and Lambamekhal.62

Ganeshani Art by Sala Warin Chaichantueg

61 62

http://www.saivism.net/pantheon/ganesha.asp - 2007 -2010 Jayaram V http://www.saivism.net/pantheon/ganesha.asp - 2007 -2010 Jayaram V

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Ganeshini is the feminine form of Lord Ganesha. In Tamil Nadu, Vigneshwari is not considered a Yogini, but rather a Shakti and called Sree Vanja Kalpalatha Maha Ganapathi.63 As expected, this form of Ganapathi has the head of an elephant, but the rest of the body is that of a woman! 64 The earliest evidence of a female Ganesha or Vinayaki is a weathered terracotta plaque from Rairh in Rajhasthan, which dates back to the first century. These feminine Ganesha forms have been discovered in sixty-four Yogini enclosures or temples. Eighteen such Yogini temples have been indexed in India with one, supposedly, in Sri Lanka.65 The emeraldwordpress website mentions that the Vedas and Shastras claim that those who successfully complete her sadhana (worship) gain power and have the power to become Sree Vidya Ganapathi herself. The Veda depicts Sree Vidya Ganapathi as a female, seated with her left leg folded beneath her right leg. She is said to have ten hands and is holding a vessel filled with water in one of her hands.66 In the 15th Century Sasidenra Danamalays Perumal Temple, one can see the elephant/female visage of Ganeshwari. Ganeshwari is also known as Vigneshwari. She has four hands, and is sitting in a relaxed position with one leg folded beneath and the other leg pointing downward.67 In Rajasthan, North India in the city called cigar exists a tenth-century Lord Shiva Temple where one can find Vigneshwari, crowned and wearing lots of jewelry around her neck.68

63

64

http://theemerald.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/Ganeshaini-Ganesha-in-feminine-form/ - 28 January, 2009 SaiSathyaSai.com - 2008 http://theemerald.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/Ganeshaini-Ganesha-in-feminine-form/ - 28 January, 2009 http://theemerald.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/Ganeshaini-Ganesha-in-feminine-form/ - 28 January, 2009 theemerald.wordpress.com/page/28

65

66

67

68

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The description of the female form of Ganapati is found in the Mantra Shastras, called Vallabha Ganeshani. This form has not gained much popularity due to the rise of the Ganapatya cult.69 The Ganeshani murti in sukhasana pose resides at Suchindram. There are two other temples in India with the female Ganesha form. One is at a tenth-century temple dedicated to sixty-four yoginis in Bheraghat, a village near Jabalpur. The other is the Tanumalaya Swami Temple in Suchindrum, Kerala.70 Several Jaina and Buddhist literary works also enumerate interesting details about the goddess. The well-known Chaunsatha-Yogini temples at Rikhian, Bheraghat, Hirapur and Ranipur-Jhariyal enshrine the images of Vainayaki along with other Yoginis.71 References to Vinayaki are commonly mentioned in the Puranas. The Matsya Purana mentions Vinayaki as one of the two hundred celestial mothers created by Lord Shiva to kill a very dangerous demon called Andhaka. Linga Purana mentions Vinayaki as a demonness deity with an elephant head. (often considered as the very first Vinayaki), which was found amidst the restored sculptures of the CausathYogini temple in Jabalpur.72 Besides these, Vainayaki as a Buddhist Tantric goddess Ganapatihrdya has also been found represented in the Tantric paintings from Nepal. In Tibet She is worshiped as Gajanani.73

According to Balaji Mundkurs article on The Enigma of Vainayaki, the precise identification of the female representation of Ganesha is problematic. She is also one of the least encountered in the Hindu religious literature. She is neither known by a consistent name nor are her iconographic attributes clearly

69 70

http://humanityashore.com/ha/archives/58 - 2010 SaiSathyaSai.com - 2008 71 http://www.inmagine.com/pts0107/WE050809-photo

72 73

sathyasaibaba.wordpress.com Goddess Vinayaki, the female Ganesa (Dr. P.K. Agrawala, 1978)

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specified in the mythological lore. Because of her appearance she is automatically assumed to be Ganeshas female form.74 The origins of this goddess are mysterious. According to A lice Getty, there are umpteen references to lord Vinayaka but not to his female counterpart.75
According to J. Herbert76 (1930), the Ganesha Shakti is diversely represented. Sometimes, she is a twin figure, one is Buddhi (supra mental power of understanding), the other is Siddhi (higher cleverness and superhuman power both) or Riddhi (perfection); these goddesses are represented with normal human bodies, but in esoteric situations, the Shakti is named Vinayaki/Ganeshani, who is represented with an elephant head and a female body is also believed to symbolise the duality of nature.

74

http://www.saisathyasai.com/india_hinduism_gods_goddesses/Ganeshani-vainayaki-vigneshvari.html Getty, A. Ganesa; A Monograph on the Elephant-Faced God. (Oxford 1936/ New Delhi 1971) http://mahenchanmugam.wordpress.com/lord-Ganesha/Vinayakithe-female-Ganesha/

75

76

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Vinayaki (Female Ganapati) left side sculpture -it is a unique image of lord ganapati in Bhuleshwar near Pune.77

(Left) The Ganeshani murti in sukhasana pose resides at Suchindram (Right) In Madurai, Lord Ganesha is also worshiped as Vyaghrapada Ganeshani, in female form with tiger feet.78

77 78

http://www.inmagine.com/pts0107/WE050809-photo SaiSathyaSai.com - 2008

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Two-of-only-five-depictions-of-Ganesha-in-female-form-in-India - Bhuleshwar near Pune

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Controversies
79

Photographs - http://mahenchanmugam.wordpress.com/lord-ganesh/vinayakithe-female-ganesha/

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Of animal headed gods, India has but few their special home is Egypt. Ganesha however, is ubiquitous in India; his images are more abundant, perhaps than all those other gods together. Certainly a majority of these images are works of mere craftsmanship rather than creative art, though nearly all are delightful and perfectly successful in achieving their own simple ends. It should not be forgotten that no motif appears bizarre to those who have been familiar with it for generations.80

Every art tradition is a language. To say that Indian is bad, because some of its forms are many armed is equivalent to saying for example, that Chinese poetry is bad because it is not written in the English language.81

Hindu Janajagriti Samiti (HJS) posted a controversy regarding the mockery of Lord Ganesha by mass media through advertisements - August 25, 2006. Phillips Company had published an advertisement of its 'DVD Hi-fi System' in the 'Mumbai Maharashtra Times' issue of 19th August 2006. A picture of Lord Ganapati was in such a posture that it implied he was using the Philips Music System to listen to music through His big ears and a line running above the picture read, 'Om Lambakarnay Namah', and the one below read, Play music that pleases huge ears of Ganapati'.82

HJS had launched a protest campaign against this mockery and demanded public apology in written which would be published in the same newspaper. They made sure the message was out in the open.

Another such controversy was over mockery of Lord Ganesha by Carrey on NBC Television channel.83

80

The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 1913 (page 195) Indian Images with Many Arms, Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 1913

81

82 83

http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/788.html - 2011 Hindu Janajagruti Samiti The Indian Express Limited - 2011

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Hindus were deeply hurt over the portrayal of Lord Ganesha in a sexual act on NBCs Saturday Night Live programme, and demanded apologies from all those responsible for it, including actor Jim Carrey and NBC. In a skit on NBCs (January 8, 2011) titled The Wrath of Ganesha, Jim Carrey (as erotic shaman Lee Licious) and Kenan Thomson (as Grady Wilson) demonstrated a sexual technique, mocking elephantheaded Lord Ganesha and his trunk in the process.

Notable Hindu statesman Rajan Zed took up the issue saying that Lord Ganesha was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be thrown around loosely in reimagined versions for dramatic effects in TV series for mercantile greed. Although the worst controversy involving Lord Ganesha was the psychoanalytical analysis Of Ganesha done by Paul B. Courtright, Professor of Religion & Asian Studies, Emory University84 in his monograph Ganesha: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings by Paul B. Courtright published by Oxford University Press in 1985.

Among the areas of the story of Ganesha examined by Courtright is that of family relations, especially the unconscious ambivalences of early forgotten childhood experiences.85

According to Courtright, Ganeshas story begins with a tension between his parents about producing an offspring. Parvati wanted a child, while Shiva refused. With Ganeshas arrival, there is an intimacy between the mother and child when the father is away meditating. Eventually, the son confronts the father and competes with him for access to his mother. When the son does not have the strength or resources to oppose his father, he is forced to submit by being beheaded and replaced with an elephant head. However, the father is seen to have finally permitted the son to take up a subservient position.

84 85

Donald H. J. Hermann: GANESH, November 20, 2006 Ganesha: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings by Paul B. Courtright published by Oxford University Press in 1985. (Page 103)

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In the oedipal reading of Ganeshas story, the confrontation between father and son ends with the defeat of the son who is finally removed from the intimacy of the mother.86 Courtright further suggests that the myth evokes a process similar to the developmental one the Hindu male experiences around the age of four to five years.87 As interpreted by Donald Hermann, according to Courtright, it is common for young males to be taken abruptly from the sheltered world of their mothers, a world in which the father is largely absent. The boy is then placed under the strict and emotionally distant authority of the father. The son longs for what becomes the lost idealized world with the mother. At the same time, the son fails to develop an appropriate sense of autonomy and has a tendency to submit to authority or to an idealized and omnipotent figure. Courtright maintains that Ganeshas submission to Shiva is a reflection of the Indian male search for authority to which to be submissive. Ganeshas celibacy provides fertile ground for further psychoanalytic speculation. To begin, it is argued that Ganesha remains celibate in order to remain a child who can stay close to his mother. By remaining celibate, Ganesha avoids direct competition with his father, avoiding incest with his mother and possible competition for other women that his father, Shiva, might desire. More debatable, perhaps, is Courtrights argument that Ganeshas celibacy resembles the figure of the eunuch in both iconography and behavior. Guarding Parvatis bedroom is compared to the eunuch guarding the harem. Moreover, in Hindu practice, eunuchs performed an auspicious function warding off evil spirits. Courtright explains that: Like the eunuch, Ganesha has the power to bless and curse; that is to place and remove obstacles.88
86 87

Donald H. J. Hermann: GANESH, November 20, 2006 Ganesha: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings by Paul B. Courtright published by Oxford University Press in 1985 (page 108) 88 Ganesha: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings by Paul B. Courtright published by Oxford University Press in 1985 (page 11)

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Courtright asserts, Although here there seem to be no myths or folktales in which Ganesha explicitly performs oral sex, his insatiable appetite for sweets seems inappropriate in an otherwise ascetic disposition, a hunger having clear erotic overtones. The author maintains that Ganeshas broken tusk, his guardians staff, and displaced head can be interpreted as symbols of castration. 89 Edmund Leach, a noted anthropologist wrote similarly in 1949 in the journal Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Review: Ganeshas broken tusk is a phallic emblem, its detachability denotes a certain ambivalence about Ganeshas sexual nature. Leach interprets that, There are contexts in which the lingam (phallus), which is properly the emblem of Shiva, may serve as a manifestation of any one of Shivas sons, Ganeshas included. In such a context, Ganesha may be virile and potent. But there are other contexts where Ganesha seems to be an effeminate eunuch. Thus Ganesha can be seen to combine qualities of the child-like celibate and the eunuch resulting in a denial of adult male sexuality. 90 However, according to Donald Hermann, it is only normal that so many deities as they are in the Hindu Pantheon will represent numerous opposing forces. However, Ganesha is the only god who in one form embodies such oppositions both as the creator and remover of obstacle. 91 He explains that as an elephant, which is viewed both as the wild and the tame; Ganesha also has such duality.

Environmental hazards due to idol immersion

89 90 91

Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Review: 1949 Donald H. J. Hermann: GANESH, November 20, 2006

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As the festival has grown in popularity and become modernized and commercialised, its traditional practices have developed into a strain on Indias environment.

Ever wondered where does Ganpati Bappa go after immersion? For centuries the idols were made out of mud or soil, which used to easily dissolve in water. However, in the past few decades, modern materials such as plaster of Paris as well as lead- and zinc-based paints have replaced mud and soil. The festival has also exploded in popularity and intensity.92

Environmentalists say that after water immersion, the plaster idols do not biodegrade, and the chemicals pollute the water and disrupt the fish and plant life, thereby extending the health risks to humans, who consume fish and water.

After years of emphasis on the need to acknowledge environment friendly idol immersion there have been various protests by people on the same, the plea to go green from environmentalists, scientists, and social welfare activists has finally come to be accepted by the general public.

It is important to understand the impacts of these pujas (worshipping ceremony). The biggest environmental threat comes from idol immersion, which is generally made from Plaster of Paris which can take several months or years to fully dissolve. 93 Another source of water pollution is the chemical paints used on the idols. These paints contain heavy metals such as mercury and lead which seep into the water as the idol dissolves. The waste generated from the non-bioderadable accessories on the idol further add onto the list of pollutants. Therefore, the Central Pollution Control Board had issued guidelines in Section 2.1, for idol immersion on June 2010 which state that a) Idols should be made from natural materials as described in the holy
92 93

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/india/100914/green-movement-ganesh-hindu-festivals - 2011 Toxics Alert - http://enews.toxicslink.org/feature-view.php?id=18 Sep 2010

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scripts. Use of traditional clay may be encouraged, allowed and promoted. b) Painting of Idols should be discouraged. In case idols are to be painted, water soluble and nontoxic natural dyes should be used. Use of toxic and non-biodegradable chemical dyes for painting idols should be strictly prohibited. c) Worship material like flowers, vastras (clothes), decorating material (made of paper and plastic) etc. should be removed before immersion of idols. Biodegradable materials should be collected separately for recycling or composting. Non-biodegradable materials should be collected separately for disposal in sanitary landfills.

The guidelines are good to begin with, but the biggest challenge lie in the actual implementation of these guidelines.

Some possible solutions to the problem could be: Immersing the idol in a water tan constructed by the government, instead of directly into natural water bodies. Using only a natural clay idol and immersing it either in the tank or in a bucket of water at home or reusing the same idol every year.94

The state Government of Maharashtra, and local NGOs and activists have fortunately responded with a campaign to celebrate the festival with a green variety of Ganesha.95

The Green Ganesha campaign includes efforts to persuade worshippers to buy clay or paper idols that biodegrade more easily. Workshops are conducted, aimed at teaching idol-makers and paint companies how to use eco-friendly materials. Some groups have also promoted artificial tanks for the immersion ritual rather than natural water bodies.

94

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/india/100914/green-movement-Ganesha-hindu-festivals - 2011 http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/india/100914/green-movement-ganesh-hindu-festivals - Sept 2010

95

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Environmental lawyer and activist Girish Raut argues that the eco-friendly efforts should not provoke controversy because environmental protection is integral to all religions.96

But persuading customers to prioritize the environment over having the most attractive and impressive idols has been a struggle. Idol-makers say most clients make their decision based on cost, weight and glamour. Rajen Pulekar, a Mumbai based artist said that he has been making Ganesha sculptures for the past 25 years and has seen a trend toward plaster of Paris ones. He said that price of small idols is negligible. It is once when they reach three feet, when the clay idols become more time-intensive to make and can cost about 10,000 rupees, double the price of a plaster one.

At a shop in Matunga East, Sagar Chitale says he is the third generation in his family to make Ganesha idols. He makes about a third of his idols using paper, which he says begins melting as soon as the material touches the water. According to him, the paper idols have many benefits. Once can see the immersion on the spot. His idea did work as he said most of his clients choose paper sculptures not because they care about water pollution but because they want a lighter option.

Each year, artisans from West Bengal travel to north Karnataka to sculpt idols of the elephant god Ganesha. As reported by IANS on Sep 9, 2010, for the Bengal artisans who sculpt Ganesha idols in Karnataka- Hubli (Karnataka), the city has become their second home for the past 18 years, as they migrate every summer from Kolkata to create Ganesha idols.97

According to an IANS report (Mumbai, Sep 13, 2010), The National Association of Fishermen expressed concern over the immersion of plaster of Paris idols, saying the pollution of water was killing fish, thus affecting their livelihood.98
96 97

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/india/100914/green-movement-ganesh-hindu-festivals - Sept 2010 Deccan Herald Sep 9, 2010 98 http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment - Sep 13, 2010

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Noise pollution, traffic congestion, and increased consumerism are just a few other additions.

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Conclusion
Ganesha and his worship have certainly changed over the years, but what does remain constant is the eternal faith of his devotees. Ganesha has been experimented widely. He has always been imagined as a plump god with a plate of ladoos (sweets) in front of him, but Peter Brookes award winning play, Mahabharata shows him as a rather thin figure. It is amazing to see his image everywhere, from temples to roadside dhabas, from the

high art of classical miniature paintings to the low art of the bazaars. Ganesha is omnipresent from the sculptures in ancient 5,000 year old temples to guest appearances in Bollywood films like Don. At the recent Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations in Mumbai, Ganesha was even seen as muscle-bound 'Krrish.'

Studying Ganesha was an enriching experience.

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