Dancing Ganapati

Ganapati is known as Ganesha and Vinayaka who is one of most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon as a remover of obstacles. Ganapati’s image is found throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Thailand, Mauritius, Bali, and Bangladesh. In Vajrayana Buddhism he is a wealth deity.  

Lord Ganapati, the elephant headed deity, depicted red as Maharakta Ganapati with a third eye, 12 arms, an emanation of Avalokiteswara, is in a dancing pose against a lapiz lazuli rock in mountainous surroundings, with his foot on his vahana or vehicle 'Mooshaka' who is spewing gems. Ganapati is  holding  weapons, holding sweets, and is wearing resplendent jewellery and coloured silk robes. He has gems on his top knotted hair as well.

Ganapati is a much - loved deity within Hinduism. In Buddhism, there are two sutras that mention Ganapati, and one with his mantra  or 'dharani' can be chanted by anyone. Devotion to Ganapati is wide and extends to Jains and Buddhists. 

Seven bodhisattvas are shown seated in clouds. 
All of them are shown with blue halos around their heads, in  different mudras or  gestures. A bodhisattva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi or 'awakening'. The one who is most above is Buddha Ratnasambhava. 

This depiction is of a multi-armed and multi faced Chakrasamvara embracing his yogini consort Vajravarahi. They are key deities in Vajrayana Buddhism. This figure became popular in the 18th century. 

The figure on the right of Lord Ganapati is shown seated on a lotus. He is Vaishravana, a wealth deity seen atop a lion.  He is in the posture of abhayamudra or fearlessness. He wears a crown, orange coloured robes and has a smiling countenance.

A Buddhist deity, Aparajita, a wealth deity on the left of Ganapati is shown seated on a lotus. His right hand is in  the gesture of vitarka or  intellectual argument. His left hand is in karana mudra, a gesture of expelling of demons.

A deity is with a halo around him and is  holding a wealth vase (kalash) in his left hand. He is in bhoomisparsha mudra or the posture of touching the earth below him.

A deity with a halo around him, with a wealth vase (kalash) to his right, in the lower part of the thangka seated in front of a building.

Between the two figures of Buddhist deities, under a fruit tree is depicted three figures maybe  'three pishachis' (associated with evil) under it, standing on lotuses displaying wealth vases (kalash) and jewels.