“Gajananayutam“, by Rukmini Vijayakumar & Ambi Subramaniam

“Gajananayutham” Ganesha, Ganapathi, Gajanana, are all names of the beloved, elephant headed hindu god, Ganesha. Obeisance is paid to Ganesha at the beginning of every momentous occasion. Ganesha’s image symbolises all the qualities that one needs to embody to overcome obstacles. Not ‘Obstacles’, of the material physical world, but the impediments of our inner being. He has big ears and a small mouth, that imply that he listens more than he speaks; he sits on a tiny mouse that indicates that one must keep their desires under control; holding an axe in his right hand and a rope in his left shows that he helps us cut our bonds to this material world, while simultaneously pulling us nearer to the knowledge of the self; his large stomach indicates that one must be able to digest the good and the bad with equanimity and his big head is a symbol of thoughtfulness and contemplation. Produced by: MAP museum Choreographed and performed by: Rukmini Vijayakumar VIDE