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Ganesha idols are a huge part of pretty much every Indian household. A lot of people have even started purchasing Ganesha idols for their cars! While keeping Ganesha idols at home is an age-old trend, lots of modern interpretations of these idols now exist. However, like everything that is produced in large numbers there is bound to be a couple of products out there that don’t quite follow the ancient rules of Hindu idol design & worship.
In this post, I’d like to talk about the direction of Lord Ganesha’s trunk in Idols. Yes, you heard me right, the direction in which Ganesha’s trunk faces is way more important than you think. It is said that Ganesha idols for home should have their trunks facing to the left, not the right. Why this is a thing, has been explained below.
There are 3 types of Ganesha Idols based on the direction of their trunks
1. Vamamukhi or Idampuri Vinayak
This style of Ganesh idols come with a trunk that faces to the left. It is also known as Vastu Ganesha as it is said to remove any vastu related problems in your home. This idol is said to bring a sense of calm & happiness while stimulating success for its worshippers.
2. Dakshniaabimukhi Murti or Dakshin Murti
Here, one can see that the Ganesha idol has a trunk that curves rightwards. This idol is considered to have large amounts of energy surrounding it which can be too strong home one’s home. This idol requires strict rituals of worship as it is associated to the power of the sun. Needless to say, that’s a lot of power. Which is why it is advised not to bring home such idols as most people do not actually know the rules of worship. It’s only advised to bring them home if one knows the exact rituals of worship for a Dakshin Murti Ganesha.
3. The Rare Sushumna Ganesh Idol
This type of Ganesha idol has a trunk that goes straight down only to curve upwards at the very end. These are rare idols and are considered to be extremely special as opposed to the generic Ganesh idols one can find around various market places. This idol signifies the complete openness of Sushumna Nandi. This implies the Kundalini Shakti has reached the crown chakra. (One of the 7 chakras that make up our nonphysical state of being)
So, keep these points in mind the next time you go to purchase a Ganesha Idol. Especially if you’re buying a Ganesha idol online, as all you need to do is look at the trunk & see which side it’s facing. This is the easiest way to find the right Ganesh statue for your home.
