Ganesha, the fashion lovers’ muse

The elephant-headed God is undoubtedly all fashion lovers’ delight. Now the obvious question that comes to our mind is that why is Ganesha a popular muse for art and fashion lovers?
Ganesha inspires creativity. Fashion celebrates the fusion of beauty and grace, and Ganesha is both. He is also the good luck charm for any new project. Ganesha is a benevolent God. Gargi Chkravarty, an advertising professional says, “Unlike say Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga it is much easier to connect with Ganesha.I believe he is extremely cute. Because he is ‘Siddhidata’, I think the fact that over years people have started believing that having his image around the neck will bring good luck. It has also helped in building him as a fashion muse. I have Ganesha pendants black metal, terracotta, wood and oxidized silver. For amateur painters who know how to hold a brush it is easy to replicate or draw a basic Ganesha .It’s lot tougher to reflect Shiva's calmness or Kali's anger.”
Ganesha is an über cool god with mass appeal. There's something sacred about him, but not distant. He's really like a divine icon appealing to all ages and groups. “I have temple jewellery set with a Ganesha figures gifted by my dad that I love. It's very antique and I feel very auspicious each time I wear it. Saving it for special occasions,” says Ranna Sing, a youngster from the city.
Fashion lover, Kunika Menon says, “Personally I love Ganesha because he is the epitome of a god who loves life and food! Secondly because Ganesha symbolises a mother's love for her son. As Indians we have this notion of Vighna Vinashak so a pendant or an earring depicting Ganesha is always reassuring. I guess Ganesha in jewellery comes out very pretty. The form of Ganesha with the elephant head is very enigmatic; it also depicts prosperity and knowledge.”
Recent times Kitsch has been so popular and with that incorporating Indian Idols especially the form of Ganesha comes on the top of the list. To this Apolina Fos, a foodie and fashion lover says, “May be because Ganesha is different from normal? We (my French husband and I) are atheists but we've already each had a Ganesha collection before we met each other. Ganesha is in spite of his difference is cute.” It's a bit 'anti-institutional' metaphorically-fat, short, elephant head, god of gourmets and thieves at the same time, but yet it has a distinct charm of its own.
Nafisa Chunawala, a banker from the city says, “The pachyderm deity is auspicious and wards off all obstacles. Security and success assured by Ganesh cuts across all the sections of society and his appeal is universal. Aesthetically the body contours of the Lord are amenable to innumerable design possibilities. There are so many youthful Ganesha pendants available in the road side shops and I simply love them all.”
Ganesha is known for his versatility. Rangoli Dhigra, a home maker who loves her collection of Ganesha accessories says, “You will not see any other deity being as creatively modified as much the Ganesha is. I'd say Ganu (as I lovingly call him) is one fashionable God. He is very modern, very experimental and so open to being adapted and so he looks the best and hence he is such a hit. Oh my friend Ganesha!”
Published on 20/4/2015