We revere Lord Ganesha for countless qualities. Ganesha represents conservation, survival, and material well-being. He grants success, prosperity, and protection against adversity. Ganesha is also the slayer of vanity, selfishness, and pride. The indomitable obstacle that humans are afraid of is death. Ganpati, as Vighnaharta, is the remover of obstacles and is the lord of beginnings. Therefore, who better than the beloved Ganpati to look up to for inspiration!

His story is well-known – how a child was beheaded and later brought back to life. This could be the first instance of introduction to the concept of transplant in each one’s early childhood.

ReBirth, an NGO working on Organ Donation awareness, too, leaned on to the brand image Ganpati is. With tweaks from Team ReBirth’s in-house artist, we present to you a unique Ganpati.

Let’s begin with the famously known feature of Ganpati – the elephant head. We opted for an aged elephant’s head to denote wisdom. Don’t we all know that the word of an experienced soul holds more weight? The ReBirth Ganpati, with its slightly tilted head, requests us to understand the gravity of organ donation.

A request may be taken for granted; but nobody messes with an authority’s appeal. The artist adopted a relaxed yet commanding posture for the idol. Seated on a simple pedestal, the ReBirth Ganpati sits with loosely folded legs. Though it may appear otherwise, this posture is the most difficult to move out of immediately. This selection implies that we, as a society, must not swerve away from the importance and decision of organ donation. The concept must be drilled within each one of us so that it cannot be wiped out of our conscience.

The ReBirth Ganpati also shows contradictory conditions – an aged elephant head on a fit body. A healthy body is what we all must strive for; for selfish and selfless reasons. The ReBirth Ganpati is moulded with minimal jewellery to establish that organs have more significance than any materialistic thing. There is nothing more valuable than healthy organs is the underlying message the idol stresses on through this depiction.

Organ donation is a concept. It has no preferences or affinities to a particular race, colour, caste, or social status. Every human being is an individual and organ donation recognises this trait. Thus, our Ganpati drapes a white mul dhoti to emphasise that organ donation is for everyone and has no association with status.

Similarly, one can see the ReBirth Ganpati seated on a low aasan with negligible decoration. The ReBirth Ganpati wears only a plain kumkum teeka. We’ve incorporated these to express that organ donation is for every strata of the society and doesn’t discriminate.

Unlike commonly seen, the ReBirth Ganpati has only two hands. Ganpati – the lord of lords – was a human before receiving the elephant head. Also, possessing two hands makes this Ganpati relatable to us humans. One can notice that the ReBirth Ganpati has large hands in proportion to its body. Furthermore, it can be observed that the ears are smaller compared to the hands. These intentional modifications symbolise that we must give more. Giving is the highest form of devotion. And what better opportunity to give than organ donation! If Mrityunjaya – the conqueror of death – says so, we must heed the advice.

Another noteworthy reason ReBirth elected to choose Ganpati was the names he is recognised by – Ganesha, Vighnaharta, Gajanana, Siddhivinayaka, Mrityunjaya, Ashtavinayaka, and many more. ReBirth believes that we, mortals, too, can have multiple identities. One donor can give life to eight potential recipients.

As the unfinished look of the ReBirth Ganpati suggests, one’s journey can never finish. While we are alive, we must ensure that we keep ourselves (and our organs) healthy so that when our time is up, we can pass on the gift of life. By choosing to donate, one can continue living…

I’ve been a part of ReBirth since its inception and am highly aware of the myths and questions people have regarding organ donation. We, at the ReBirth Foundation, have tried our best to put all the information on our website; do browse through.

ReBirth wishes to make a difference in the world of organ donation, however minuscule. Are you with us?!