Looking after Ganesh

Looking after Ganesh: respecting gods and sharing Hindu culture

Date of Project: 2018-2024 (ongoing).

About Looking after Ganesh

One of the most iconic objects on display at RAMM is a large statue of the elephant-headed god, Ganesh. He is one of the most important Hindu deities, and, as the remover of obstacles, prayers to Ganesh traditionally form part of many festivals and new beginnings. RAMM and Exeter Hindu Cultural Centre have developed a trusting relationship over years to create opportunities for Ganesh to be surrounded by the people who care most about him, open to all communities.

This Ganesh – carved from alabaster by master artisans more than 150 years ago – was last taken to the labs for conservation care in 2018. He was welcomed back to the gallery with blessings on his birthday, Ganesh Chaturthi. Celebrating this date in RAMM again in September 2024, the museum invites the community to take over the space and create the atmosphere.

RAMM’s conservation policy is rigorous but progressive. It places high importance on community engagement and accepts the risk that objects’ condition will decline over time.

Participants & partners

RAMM has an extensive collection from around the world, predominantly acquired and donated by people with connections to Exeter and South West England. Modern museums aim to forge meaningful community relationships and reflect the contemporary relevance of the objects in their care.

RAMM has consulted south Asian families many times over the last 20 years, inviting responses to objects, and incorporating new information into displays and databases. Exeter Hindu Cultural Centre is a thriving group, reaching more than 350 households around the West Country. Members gather monthly to celebrate festivals, pass on traditions to the younger generations, and work towards creating a dedicated cultural centre and temple in the region.

Members of the Hindu Cultural Centre donated a permanent garland to adorn Ganesh, provided a copy of the sacred book (Bhagavad Gita), and hand-hemmed a brightly coloured, sparkling cloth for his plinth. They requested a donations box to enable practising Hindus to be generous in his presence, and advised on a respectful height to view the deity. 

Some visitors find it hard to relate to displays in the World Cultures gallery, so perspectives from Devon residents who know about the original cultures of objects can illuminate their stories for everyone. Co-created events and exhibitions show how ethnically diverse populations are valued by the museum and the region.

Changing relationships

Although the quality of the World Cultures collection is recognised globally, the museum has far more information about the (predominantly European) donors and collectors than it does about the people who made them in and from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Pacific. Ganesh was brought to Devon by a British judge who served in India in the 1860s and 1870s. RAMM does not have documentation about the skilled artisans who made him.

Internationally, museums look for ways to acknowledge their own colonial history, initiate debate and collaborate with underrepresented communities. As part of its ethos of Home to a Million Thoughts, RAMM has attempted to give voice to diverse perspectives in the galleries, to listen to constructive criticism, and to develop partnerships based on respect. A QR code in the gallery points visitors to this 2012 film provocation of alternative stories around Ganesh created by community researchers with the Telling our Stories project. It challenges the 19th-century origins and tones of RAMM’s classification system.

Fast forward to 2019, when RAMM and Exeter Hindu Cultural Centre co-hosted a public shared experience of Diwali, the Festival of Lights. The building resonated with new sounds, flavours and styles. More than 400 guests – many travelling from Plymouth or Bristol – filled the galleries for Bollywood-bhangra band, dancing, food and a garland-making activity.

Community members joined RAMM staff as VIP hosts for a Royal Visit to celebrate the museum’s 150th birthday, and took part in Home Sweet Home (a project highlighting the different ways we share hospitality and the objects we use).

Feedback so far

“It’s so impressive to see how you have displayed Ganesh here…. I was born in Uganda, and moved to Totnes recently from Birmingham… For us, these gods are alive once they have been worshipped.”

RAMM visitor to Diwali celebration

“Kudos to you guys. You have opened your doors and you have started building bridges between the faith community and the museum…. It will be a learning experience for the new generation as well.”

Hindu priest

“We have deliberately made this display [of Ganesh] so the glass can be removed when the community comes.  We’ll allow fresh flowers, and we very much want people to feel that he is part of the celebration and not just in a case where you can’t engage with him. Many conservators are very keen to preserve objects and control their use. My feeling is that the use of an object is all part of its history. We are not conserving just a thing; we are conserving a way of using it. We are conserving a whole way of life.”

Lead RAMM conservator

“I grew up in the north of England in a very racially tense atmosphere. This is what was missing – that invitation to join in and share cultures. My parents are racist. It’s moved me almost to tears a couple of times today, to be able to bring my daughter to something like this.”

RAMM visitor to Diwali celebration

What next?

The museum and Exeter Hindu Cultural Centre have revived collaboration after a lull during Covid19 lockdowns. This relationship informed RAMM’s current Dynamic Collections project which is working to incorporate more community voices and perspectives into the museum’s permanent galleries.

Further information

Ruth Gidley

Engagement Officer, RAMM

[email protected]

01392 265305