Goddess of Eloquence and Learning

Speech is the power through which knowledge expresses itself in action. Saraswati is the source of creation by the word. The name of Saraswati is of rather obscure origin. It is sometimes thought to refer to the pool of knowledge. Not surprisingly thus, she was once a mighty river in the Vedic times.

The goddess sits gracefully on a lotus seat playing the veena. It 's the ardhaparayankasana that she sits in. She wears a kirti-mukuta with a large prabhavali behind it. The tastefully displayed ornaments on her body includes large earrings, necklaces of varying sizes, a fancy waist belt, besides bracelets, armlets and anklets. She wears a saree and a choli; the frill of the saree and the flowing shoulder cloth conveys malleability in hard metal. The goddess is playing the veena, symbolizing music and the fine arts. The instrument is carved in floral design and her fingers fall gracefully on the strings. In the left hand, she holds a book, indicating her association with learning and the right hand holds a rosary. An air of divine abstraction is shown in her face.

The artist has not included Saraswati's vehicle, the hamsa, along with the image. However, at the base of the lotus pedestal are two swans carved facing each other.

This description by Renu Rana.