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Bala-Chandra Ganapati

A leaf from ancient records and files acts as the base on which this stupendously painted stands. Resting against a bolster, Ganesha sits in a frontal body position with his head turned towards the right. A protruding structure on his head holds an elaborate terraced crown, a karanda mukuta. Mark of Shaivites, the horizontal lines on the forehead are prominently painted. On the side of his forehead hangs a crescent moon, due to which he is called Bala-Chandra, a form especially worshipped by esoteric sects.

Two of his hands hold the usual attributes, a spear and a bowl of modakas; one hand is on the knee and the other holds a rosary. He wears numerous strings on the neck, some of which hang down his belly. Folds in the dress as Ganesha crosses his legs are effectively painted. As in many representations, the head is that of an elephant but the limbs are human. If studied closely, this image gives an impression of a masked head, as the face color is different from the rest of the body.