Elephant-headed and many-armed, Ganesha is a mystifying, even comic figure to the uninitiated. In one of the forms, Ganesha is the Destroyer of Obstacles, Nrttya Ganapati, the dancing god who is portrayed with four arms. In those arms he holds a goad (to remove obstacles), a noose ( symbolic of the means by which we ascend to our highest goal - oneness with God), a broken tusk (symbolic of sacrifice) and modak, a sweet dumpling (symbol of reward that true devotion brings). This Ganesh statue is hand-carved and hand-made in South India out of wood. The Ganesh statue measures 24 inches high and 12 inches wide. Painted in antique finish, minor variations and defects are common and add to the artistic individuality of the piece.