Picture Of The Hindu God That Barack Obama Carries For Luck

Really, when did American Politics fall to this level of inanity?

Wait, I thought he was muslim.

The first comment on the blog page summed it up for me:

Quote:

Really, when did American Politics fall to this level of inanity?

A Time magazine photograph of Barack Obama's hands, displaying his favorite charms, sported this caption: "Amongst the things that Barack Obama carries for good luck is a bracelet belonging to a soldier deployed in Iraq, a gambler's lucky chit, a tiny monkey god and a tiny Madonna and child."

What a cool picture!

(I was ready to plotz if the Hindu god in question was Ganesh -- Hanuman is still cool though.)

Ganesh is my favorite Indian godling; I have a silver Ganesh pendant that I wear every day. He's been a favorite since college, when I was studying mythology/ folklore (in general) and Indian literature/ history. Ganesh is the "remover of obstacles," and tends to especially help women and girls. (You probably already know this part, just saying.)

In addition to my silver pendant, I have a little brass Ganesh that my two housemates bought for me in London, and a silverplate, larger one (maybe 9 inches high) that E.G. bought for me in Germany. (Germany? I think. It was some counter-intuitive place he visited, saw the Ganesh, and thought I'd like it.)

Plus assorted flat images (one bought in "Little India" near L.A., etc.)

So if Obama was a Ganesh fan, too, that'd be yet another similarity and a kind of an eerie one.

Not so surprising though (the general Indian-godling-admiration aspect) as it sounds like our religious upbringing was very similar -- moms showing us a bookshelf of folklore, mythology, and religion from around the world and encouraging us to read and learn about the whole shebang.

Hanuman is the Indian monkey god of perseverance, strength and devotion.

http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa052801a.htm