Devi Meenakshi is one of those rare Hindu deities who, from being the queen of the ancient Pandya kingdom, was elevated to devi-hood. The murti of Her that you see on this page depicts Her in Her traditional iconography. Tall and slender and unspeakably beautiful, She stands with all the grace of the feminine being with a parrot perched on Her right hand.
This Meenakshi murti has been made from panchaloha, a bronze made from five (‘pancha’) different iron-based (‘loha’) alloys. This medium gives the composition its resplendent gold colour. Note how the monotone is broken only by texture - the pleats of Meenakshi’s saree wound tightly around Her figure, the bold lines of Her handsome face, and the ornate crown.
Panchaloha is an exceptionally difficult medium to work with. The metalcasting method used here is madhuchista vidhana (lost wax metalcasting). Both the medium and the method are a heritage of the great South Indian sculptural tradition. Its hallmarks lie in the tall crown and the slender figure, each accentuating the other’s sharp beauty.
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Visual Search
Manage Wishlist