For an anti-religious person, Nandi temple was something of a special place. More on that later, but how many have seen this before? Hint: It’s Rudra Ganesh, not the usual rupa of Ganesh that you see but very powerful nonetheless. The lovable god that we can cuddle but what a warrior. His first showdown being with the mighty Shiva.

This one is a traditional rendition of Rudra Ganesh. Gods have many rupas and ganesh, despite the calm demeanor and all association with prosperity, he was also a well known warrior. This murti is also special because he is not seen standing – unlike the beefed up, six pack versions that Maharashtra did during rise of Hindutva there. Traditionally, the only standing ganesh is the dancing one..