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Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
Lord Ganesha is omnipotent and omnipresent. Paying obeisance to him clears all hurdles from the devoted path. The elephant-headed Lord of prosperity and illumination miraculously removes all obstacles, material or spiritual.
It is no wonder that he is the most worshipped deity of the Hindu pantheon. The pulsating festivals in his honour are an inextricable part of Maharashtra's cultural life. People, irrespective of their social standing, bow down to him and seek his grace.
Ganesha’s rotund belly with a curved elephant trunk resting on it, has provided infinite creative possibilities to artists, sculptures and painters. His endearing roly-poly form not only makes him a favourite of his mother Ma Parvati but also a cherished possession of collectors and art connoisseurs. Dr Prakash Kothari, the world–renowned Professor of sexual medicine from Mumbai, India has been a passionate collector of Ganesha in his myriad forms and evocations.
Dr Kothari’s treasure trove has been lovingly amassed over decades and ranges from what is arguably the world’s oldest terracotta from the Satavahanas era to the spiffiest space age avatar of the God.
Welcome to Dr Kothari’s collection of Ganesha through the ages.
Dr Prakash Kothari
Dr Prakash Kothari is Founder Professor and Head of the Department of Sexual Medicine at Seth G. S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India. He is Founder Member of the Advisory Committee, World Association for Sexology (W.A.S.). His path-breaking research on orgasm and his monograph on sage Vatsyayana and his world-famous sex manual, Kamasutra put India on the world map. Dr Kothari is also an avid collector of rare and beautiful erotic art. His Sex & You, a Guide for Laymen, is a classic that has been translated into many languages in India and abroad. He is also renowned for his professional treatise, Orgasm: New Dimensions. The Asian Federation for Sexology honoured him as 'The Sexologist of Asia'. The World Association for Sexology bestowed upon him the title, 'Man of the Year' in 1989 and conferred its highest award, the W.A.S. Gold Medal, in 1997. In recognition of the significant contribution made to sexual medicine, Dr Kothari was awarded the Padma Shri by the President of India.
Dr Kothari's collection of Ganeshas began almost accidentally: he picked up a terracotta sealing displaying the god in a flea market by chance. This could well be the world's oldest representation of the deity. That very day a friend gifted him a stunning miniature of Ganesha made by a Maratha Schoolmaster. Thus began one of the most fascinating collecting odysseys in post- Independence India. It covers a dazzling range of mediums and modes; it also spans an awesome interval of portraits of Ganesha across the ages.
