Calgary Zoo Elephant Ganesh 108"
Item # calg
- Materials: Hand Carved & Polished Indian Black Granite
- Total Height Including Base: 9 feet or 108 inches
- Weight: 5 tons or 10000 pounds
- This beautiful carving of dancing Lord Ganesh was commissioned by the Calgary Zoo for their Elephant Crossings Exhibit
- Ganesh would be perfect for any garden in any climate, hot or cold
- Ganesha's skin is polished which contrasts beautifully with the lighter gray of his clothes and jewelry
- This exact dancing Ganesh statue has been sold. However, you can custom order another. The price is $25000. A down payment of $12000 is required to start the project.
Description
In 2006 the Calgary Zoo commissioned a large Ganesh sculpture to go in front of a new exhibit the zoo was planning; Elephant Crossings. The statue was to be 9 feet tall and go in front of the Elephant Crossings building. The Ganesh statue took 1 year to carve and then another month to ship to Calgary. It arrived just in time for the opening day of the Elephant Crossings exhibit. The pictures are taken in front of the Elephant Crossings building.
The Elephant crossings exhibit tripled the outdoor area for the Calgary zoo's four Asian elephants, the most famous of which is Kamala who is a painter on top of being an elephant.
Attention to detail is given to every aspect of this fine figure. His face is particularly attractive. His long, bulbous trunk, two short tusks show and smooth smiling face display the character of Ganesh; carefree and loving. His eyes are particularly human in appearance. Like the entire piece, they are carved with care and ability.
You can always pick Ganesh out of a crowd; besides his elephant head, Ganesh typically is endowed with a handsome potbelly. In this case his belly is perfect for giving a hug. His rotund midsection is the summit for his curvaceous hips. The hips lead directly into a beautifully carved skirt, which he wears with the grandeur and ease of a King. The details of the folds of the skirt are striking. The rough style of carving directly contrasts the polish and smoothness of his large belly and upper body.
The entire piece is a lesson in proportion. Everything from the beautiful head, bulbous trunk, uplifted arm, slight chest, potbelly, huge thighs and chubby feet fit together without any imperfections. The back of the figure is particularly striking. All which makes the piece a masterpiece in the front is duplicated in the backside. Ganesh's head adorned with a turban overflowing with little tufts of hair onto his back just give the piece humanity. The flap of his ear delicately resting on his shoulder makes you second guess if the piece is really made out of stone or not. The backside gives you a great angle to see his chubby fingers. Particular detail is given to the fabric on the waistline as well as the skirt leading between the massive figure's meaty thighs. Now imagine the playful and beautiful Ganesh in your backyard. That would be enough to bring a smile to anyone's face.
About Indian Black Granite: Indian black granite is a wonderful stone. It is capable of a variety of finishes which can give it a variety of different color possibilities. It is possible to see 4-5 different colors on a single piece depending on the degree of polish or roughness of the stone. Indian black granite is among the best granite in the world sought after by artists globally. Unlike inferior quality granite, Indian granite is extremely dense and without impurities that plague other stones. The density of granite makes a granite sculpture perfect for any garden because it can be left outside in extreme heat and extreme cold for years without care.
About Ganesh
~A Hymn from Sri Bhagavat-Tathva~
The chubby, gentle, wise, elephant-headed Ganesh, or Ganesha, is one of Hinduisms most popular deities. He is the remover of obstacles, the deity whom worshippers first acknowledge when they visit a temple. He is also patron of letters and of learning; he is the legendary scribe who, using his broken tusk, which he often holds, wrote down parts of the Mahabharata epic. Ganesh is usually depicted colored red; he is pot bellied, has one tusk broken, and has four arms that may hold a pasam, a goad, and a pot of rice or sweetmeats. The sweet meats are held in a type of bowl known as a laddus. His appetite for these sweets is legendary and offerings of them are often left at his shrine.
Statues of Ganesh can be found in most Indian towns. His image is placed where new houses are to be built; he is honored at the start of a journey or business venture, and poets traditionally invoke him at the start of a book.
A pasam is a triple twine weapon. Each of the three twines represents, arrogance and conceit, Maya - the illusory nature of the real world, ignorance. In Hindu ideology weapons are a viewed as symbolic tools to destroy the ego rather than to cause any type of bloodshed. Goads (or elephant prods) are typically used to direct elephants. Goads are symbolic of how one should steer the soul away from the ignorance and illusions of this earthly world just as a mahout would steer an elephant away from any treacherous path.
Care
Granite statues from India do not need much maintenance. The best way to maintain the statue is to simply dust the piece periodically to keep any dirt from accumulating. They can be used for both indoor and outdoor use.
go over the statue to remove any dust or dirt buildup."
Soap and warm water is the best way to maintain the statue. You can use a small brush to get into the small crevices of the statue like the hands and hair.
Granite's durability makes it perfect for cold winters and hot summers of any climate. The stone can stand up to the harshest conditions of heat and bitter cold. We suggest you bathe the sculpture at least once a year so that dirt does not collect on the sculpture. This will maintain the sculpture for your grandchildren and then their grandchildren!
If you have any questions concerning your Indian granite statue please email us at info@lotussculpture.com or call us at 1(760) 994-4455.
Testimonials
This 4 foot marble Shiva was
installed in a Shiva temple in Hyderabad from Lotus Sculpture.
Hello Kyle Shiva arrived intact. He has been Installed with full of Life and Glory in the presence of 125 Pandits (gurus) and 350 Guests. Thank you May the Lord Shiva's choicest best blessings be on Lotus sculpture your and your family cheers Srikanth |
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The Calgary Zoo purchased this 9 foot tall dancing Ganesh statue for the entrance to their 'Elephant Crossing' exhibit. Hello Kyle Thank you so much for making the Ganesh a reality! It arrived with perfect timing right before the opening! Don |
Namaste Kyle, I took a pic of Ganesha for you this weekend, once again Thank you very much! Thanks Aaron |
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Yes, the Ganesh arrived in perfect condition and has been installed. Here are some pictures to prove it. We are so delighted to have him! Leslie |
Hello
Kyle,
Welcome back from your trip! I hope you had a great time. I'm trying not to be envious of your frequent visits to Tamil Nadu! Attached is a photo of the Ganesha from last night's Ganesha Chathurthi Puja at my house. It's a beautiful statue and I'm very grateful to have it in my care. paul |
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We look forward to carving many new statues, large and small, for years to come giving our artists work and promoting this beautiful art form and religious values.
Shipping
USA Shipping
This sculpture is currently in our warehouse in India and will be shipped to our warehouse in Oceanside, CA or directly to the custom depending on the where in the US the sculpture is being delivered. Lotus Sculpture pays for the shipping and import costs to Oceanside, CA. This process takes approximately 80 days. The client then pays for shipping from Oceanside, CA or the closest port to the final destination. Shipping is calculated after the purchase. If you place your order online shipping will be $0. Shipping will then be added to the invoice after the order is placed. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance from Oceanside, CA. Please call 760-994-4455 or email us info@lotussculpture.com for a shipping quote.
International Shipping
This sculpture is currently in our warehouse in India and will be shipped directly to the customer. This process takes approximately 80 days. Shipping is calculated after the purchase. If you place your order online shipping will be $0. Shipping will then be added to the invoice after the order is placed. Please call 760-994-4455 or email us info@lotussculpture.com for a shipping quote.
Shipping quote for Calgary Zoo Elephant Ganesh 108"
This statue weighs too much to be shipped using UPS or any of our international carriers and will have to be shipped by a freight carrier. We will get you a freight shipping quote for this statue.
Or you can call us directly at 1 (760) 994-4455.

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