Ganesha Enthroned with His Consorts

Elephant-headed Ganesha is shown seated in a posture of royal ease (lalitasana) upon a hexagonal golden throne. He sports a bejeweled crown and is sheltered by a parasol and canopy. His upper two hands hold an elephant goad and modaka, his favorite confection, while the bottom two grasp a rosary and his own tusk which he broke off to transcribe the Mahabharata, the great ancient Indian epic dictated to him by the sage Vyasa. Ganesha is accompanied by his mouse vahana (vehicle) and female attendants, presumably his consorts Riddhi, Siddhi, and Buddhi who personify prosperity, attainment, and intellect, respectively. Given his role as the Lord of New Beginnings, this illustration and others like it would have been the first folio of a narrative series.