Afghanistan:

What is remarkable is that the stem of the acanthus is intended to show Ganesa as urdhvamedhra, for the acanthus design appearing to hang on it. The bulging belly is not, however, of huge proportions that Ganesa is usually associated with. He wears a naga-yajnoopavita with the knot simulating the snake's head. The chest is muscular as is common in Gandharan sculptures.The trunk rests sufficiently high above the left shoulder, a trait of early date. The right tusk is intact but the left is broken, suggesting that the image is a product of the recognised form of Ganesa as Ekadanta. The ears are symmetrically spread fan-wise which, superficially studied, may give the impression of wings. He has four arms; the upper left arm is broken and missing. The two lower arms are seen resting on the heads of the attendant ganas who are looking up at Ganesa with - devotion. The ganas superficially suggest similarity with Greek dolphins and actually show the curly locks of hair, the kundalas in the ears and the necklet which we meet in Gupta sculptures. The statue resembles the early Gupta sculptures and can therefore reasonably be dated to the 4th century. Stylistically it may fall in the transitional period of the art between the Kushana and the Gupta times. This can therefore be taken to be the earliest statue of Ganesa. It is indeed interesting that the Hindus of Kabul still worship this image in the Shore Bazar locality (Narsingdwara) of Kabul.

It is indeed curious and interesting, but equally significant, that the Images of Ganesa of such an early date should be found not in the country where Hinduism flourished and still does but in a region where it did not survive. But it should be noted that even though Afghanistan is an independent sovereign country patronizing Islam today, it was, at least, culturally a part of India-Vaisnavism, Saivism, Buddhism each by turn held its sway in this land of 'Ariana'. As a matter of fact parts of eastern Afghanistan formed a part of the Indian empire of the Kushanas when Huviska conquered that region. Besides, the images of a number of Hindu gods and goddesses found in Afghanistan also amply testify to the patronage of the Hindu kings of Afghanistan. It is, therefore, not surprising that some of the early representations of Ganesa should have been found in Afghanistan.