Indian Sacred Vigrahas are designed to evoke emotions of piety, devotion, awe, fear and appreciation. Some make you smile first and then evoke other emotions.

This Ganesha is one such Viigrhas that brings a smile to your face first.

Here, the Ganesha is two-armed and is holding a lotus and a Trishul in his hands. His trunk is straight, with the tip curving upwards.

He is sitting in Ardhapadmasana on a cylindrical pedestal.

Holding of Trishul, the trunk’s position, the cylindrical pedestal, and two arms are the unusual aspects of this Ganesha.

Sri Tattvanidhi identifies 32 forms of Ganesha and provides Dhyana Slokas for each of them. This two-armed Ganesha is not among the 32 forms. And it is a reflection of the limitations of using Dhyana Sloka as the only means of identifying the deities and also the richness of Hindu iconography.

This Vigraha is only 5 cm in height and it is, probably, from central India. In all probability, it represents a deity in a temple. The sand-casting marks can be seen on the sides of his torso.

In terms of age, going by the wear it may be about 150 years old.