Holding her flowing skirt in one hand and a peacock (a symbol of devotion and love) in the other, Devi Meenakshi dances upon the surface of an upturned lotus. When Madurai’s king Malayadhwajan and queen Kanchanamala organised a yagna to get a son, Meenakshi emerged as a three year old child who had three breasts. A voice that belonged to Lord Shiva whispered to the king that he should raise his daughter as he would a son and that her third breast would fall away when she found her true love.
The king obeyed. Meenaksi became a warrior princess, following her father’s lead as she conquered kings and their kingdoms on different excursions. On one of these such excursions, as she was destined to be, she came across the incarnation of Lord Shiva, who was to be her lover and her third breast fell away. The presence of the parrot and the absence of her third breast in the idol indicates that she has just met and fallen in love with her destined lover, Lord Sundareshwar. The folds of her garb are intricately carved and detailed by a sthapathi using the traditional form of the lost wax technique, hailing from the town of Swamimalai.
Eternal Brilliance Unveiled: The Mystique of Panchaloha Bronze and Artful Maintenance Rituals
Bronze is a metal alloy that has the primary composition of Copper and Tin. There is also an addition of other metals such as Manganese, Aluminium, Nickel, and some non-metals such as Phosphorus. This composition of several metals and non-metals makes Bronze an extremely durable and strong metal alloy. It is for this reason that Bronze is extensively used for casting sculptures and statues. Since Bronze has a low melting point, it usually tends to fill in the finest details of a mould and when it cools down, it shrinks a little that makes it easier to separate from the mould.
" If you happen to have a bronze statue, simply use a cotton cloth with some coconut oil or any other natural oil to clean the statue. "
A village named Swamimalai in South India is especially known for exceptionally well-crafted Bronze icons of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The skilled artisans of this place use Panchaloha Bronze for casting the icons. Panchaloha Bronze is made of five metals; Copper, Zinc, Lead, and small quantities of Gold and Silver. Zinc gives a golden hue to the finished figure and Lead makes the alloy softer for the easy application of a chisel and hammer. The common technique for producing these statues and sculptures is the “Lost-wax” method. Because of the high durability of bronze sculptures and statues, less maintenance is required, and can still last up to many decades.
Exotic India takes great pride in its collection of hand-picked Panchaloha Statues. You will find the murtis of Gods (Krishna, Hanuman, Narasimha, Ganesha, Nataraja, and Kartikeya) and Goddesses (Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, and Parvati), and Buddha statues. You can also buy Ritual paraphernalia (Wicks lamp, Puja Kalash, Cymbals, and Puja Flag) on the website. All these statues and items have been made with a lot of care and attention, giving them a flawless finish. Their fine carving detail represents the rich tradition of India.
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