Ponniyin Selvan Varalaatru Peravai

In Pavitra's collection of GKC photos there is one very rare
icon of shiva - that of him putting a garland in ganesh head.

There is a very similar icon in the basement wall also - that is
the famous sandesa anugraha moorthy. Here lord shiva blesses
sandeswarar by putting a garland in his head.

A photograph of this icon is available at

http://www.geocities.com/seshadrigokul/
varalaaru/article01/article01-tanjorepaintings.html

(cut and paste the whole line in the address bar!)


In my view this new icon can be called ganesha anugraha moorthy and

is special in many respects :

* With my limited knowledge, I have never seen such an icon in any
other place. In pullamangai we saw a miniature of sandesa anugraha
moorthy

* Since in both icons the lord is blessing the devotee with a garland

it should have been a practice in those days. For example, the king
might

have put the garland on a devotee or an army chief's head whom he is
pleased

with. The sculptor may have wanted to represent this practice.

* I think periyapuranam carries the story of sandeswara nayanar. Not
sure whether the story talks about shiva putting garland in his head
etc.