Yesterday on the Winter Solstice my wife took this photo. She happened into our bedroom at the very moment the evening sunlight shone at 90° across our room onto the Ganesh sculpture on my dresser. Like an ancient temple set to celebrate the moment of rebirth and awakening, our bedroom at that auspicious moment of transformation bathed the god of beginnings, the remover of obstacles and the patron saint of arts and letters, with a beautiful light of astrological alignment.

I bought the statue last month while in India. My statue of Ganesh appears almost comical in his bright enamel colors. He makes me happy each morning when I see him. In India a small Ganesh sits above the entrance to almost every building. Often people touch him when entering, so many of the statures are worn and almost formless from use and affection.

I was in India during Dewali, the festival of lights. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, in particular, but Ganesh also, are honored with a bindi, the red dot between the eyes. Everyone wants to honor the gods with that bindi, so the statues of Ganesh above the doorways were often a worn shape half covered in a great smear of red.

Mine is new and shiny with Shiva’s trident for a bindi. In saying he’s new and shiny I’m thinking next year on Dewali I might give him a bindi. Wear him in a bit. That seems the least I can do for the remover of obstacles.