Editor's Picks

Shri Navagraha Yantram (Yantra For Propitiating the Nine Planets)

The Navagraha deities are the deities that preside over each of the nine planets according to Hindu philosophy: Soorya (sun), Chandra (moon), Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu, and Ketu. Navagraha temples, and even temples dedicated to each of these deities, are to be found in abundance in the South; and it is by primarily the Tamils that the Navagraha yantra has been designed. Soorya constitutes the centre of this yantram. He is surrounded by the remaining eight deities at the cardinal and the intercardinal points. Each deity comes with Their own yantra, which deviate significantly from the traditional Shakti, Vaishnava, and Shaiva yantras. There is no bhupura or signature geometric patterns - there are only enchanting squares with nine numbers each, which is a form employed in basic temple plans within the Indian tradition.

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12" The Graceful Sarasvati Makes Music On Her Veena In Brass | Handmade | Made In India

The Devi Sarasvati is a vision in beauteousness and grace. The wife of Brahma Himself, She is tall and lissome, Her form having assumed lalitasana on a pedestal fashioned from layers of lotus petals. The fairest of the Hindu pantheon of devies, Sarasvati presides over learning and the arts, which are necessary to sustain the universe (which is Her husband's responsibility). This is the prime reason why Her iconography is incomplete without a veena in Her hands. She strums on it with divine skill, the resulting melody as smooth and susurrous as Her name. In Sanskrit, the syllables of Her name mean 'that which flows' and convey a great deal of elegance and order. Indeed, Her roopa embodies all that - such perfection of proportions, such expressive features of the face.

Mahasiddha Shri Dattatreya Yantra (Yantra for Protection from Evil Eye and for Prosperity, Knowledge and Wealth)

The contours of this yantra have been carved with great skill to produce a diagram that is powerful and highly effective. The Mahasiddha Shri Dattatreya Yantra has been written about in considerable detail in ancient tantric texts. It deflects one’s misfortune, and in its place fills your cosmic space with the Vedic virtues of knowledge and well-being.

Shri Yantra (Shri Chakra)

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4" The Sacred Silhouette Of Ganesha In Brass | Handmade | Made In India

French-Vanilla Printed Reversible Blanket from Dehradun with Kantha Stitch

There is something very comforting about the kantha stitch. Having originated in the homes of economical women, it is the result of putting together layer after layer of old fabrics and sewing them together to make the warmest bedclothes and garments. The one you see on this page is a fine example of this luxuriant stitch. The warm yellow tones it is dyed in adds to the cosiness factor of this single bedspread. Fashioned from pure homegrown cotton, this would make your bed a great place to return to each night.

The uniform pattern of embroidery and the characteristic shapes of each block of colour are unique to kantha. Zoom in on the same to take in the precision and complexity with which it has been done. The same is hemmed in by a broad layer of pale solid yellow. The reverse of this bedspread is a creamy ivory colour, dotted with miniscule yellow stitches, which you may flip over to depending on your mood.

Richly Coloured Devi Sarasvati Mandir

For the devotee of Devi Sarasvati, this murti comes with its own temple built around the pratima. The handiwork is distinctly South Indian. A rich colour palette of pastels makes a statement of absolute joy, while the wooden medium betrays the great skill and devotion on the part of the artist. Indeed, such are the characteristics of the gorgeous temples of the South, from the kind that has stood for centuries to the one you see on this page, made for modern spaces.

The beautiful Devi is seated in Her altar on a pale pink lotus. In Her four hands She holds a rosary, a pothi (spiritual manuscript), and of course the veena. She is the deity of intellectual pursuits - learning and music and the arts - which explains the elements of Her iconography. Despite the fact that the work put into the mandir dominates the composition and the pratima is relatively tiny, She has been carved in beauteous detail: the composure of Her countenance, the shringar of Her neck cascading over the stem of Her instrument, and the one-of-a-kind blue-winged crown on Her head.

Natural, traditional motifs grace Her mandir. She is flanked by blue-lotus pillars, sandwiched between platforms engraved with coloured lotus petals. An unconventional templetop characterises the composition. A pair of large, young peacocks are seemingly holding the entire arrangement up on their heads.

The Ten Forms of Goddess Kali with Yantras

Madhubani art is so called because it is endemic to Bihar's Madhubani district; the Mithila region, to be precise. Having been practised by local women, it is a form of bhitti chitra ('bhitti' means 'wall'; 'chitra', 'painting') used to decorate the home and the hearth. Understandably, the themes dominant in the folk art produced by a simple, reserved people are devotional and draw from the rich mythology of the culture.

Moonstruck Kaftan from Kashmir with Hand-Embroidered Beads and Sequins

Kashmir is the home of the kaftan (among other things, of course). It is a long loose robe designed to be layered over multiple rounds of warm clothing to beat the merciless chill of the mountains. This unique Indian piece of outerwear has evolved to be worn as a standalone dress, as an ethnic variety of gowns. The kaftan you see on this page is a typical Kashmiri dress - it flows loosely from the shoulders downwards, the fairy sleeves almost impossible to make out. Note how the embroidered plunging neckline reveals just a teasing bit of the decolletage.

The field of the kaftan is a moon-like silver colour. The silk of the make - the most delicate variety grown in the valley - lends it a shimmer that would make you look like some shapely sliver of the moon having descended the earth. Every bit of the embroidery that meets the eyes has been laboriously done by hand. Zoom in on the same to appreciate the perfection of the work, and the irresistible beads and sequins that complete it. This is a fine number to wear to close-knit evening gatherings, best teamed with ever-so-slightly dramatic makeup.

Lord Balaji Wall-Hanging, A Multitude Of Lamps At His Feet

Everything that is made in the South is infused with devotion. The formidable sculptural tradition of the region is dominated by bronze, which dates back to the patronage of the Chola rulers of the 13th century. This one-of-a-kind bronze wall-hanging is a fine example of the fact that artisans of the South have the skill and the aesthetics coursing through their veins to this day. It has been handpicked from Bangalore, where the best of them run their studios. It comprises of three trays of wick-lamps at the lower end, one of which is flanked by a slightly elevated pair. Each tray bears five lamps each, so you have a total of fifteen lamps to light up a corner of your home-mandira. The layered concentric discs that make up the stem of this sculpture are engraved with lotus petals. Complementing it are the gorgeous vines protruding from the base and holding up the wick-trays.

The intricately sculpted Balaji at the top of this hanging lamp makes this a unique work of devotional art. The details of His iconography and composure are intact, framed as they are by perfectly symmetrical floral projections. At the lateral extremes are dual faces of the divine shankha motif. Note how the procession of elephants of lions, beginning midway through the stem, seem to be holding up the Lord’s aureole.