THE LIVING ARCHIVE
About Ankusha
Historical goads vary in materials, size and decoration. A seventeenth-century South Indian example is made of steel and brass, with animal forms worked into the blade and handle. Its elaborate appearance suggests a possible place in ceremonial display as well as its recognizable connection with elephant handling.
The Ganapati Atharvashirsha describes a four-armed form holding the noose, goad and tusk, with another hand granting a boon. The complete arrangement matters. Isolating the Ankusha from the other attributes would obscure the balance of control, protection and generosity established by the image.
More About Ankusha
The goad is a ritual and iconographic attribute of
