A set of four discrete murtis of the members of Ramadurbar. ‘Durbar’ translates to court. In the court of the prince of Ayodhya, His brother Lakshmana stands to His right; to His left is the beauteous and faithful Devi Seeta, His wife. Kneeling before the tight-knit trinity is the devoted Lord Hanuman, the very image of divine bhakti or unconditional love.
Each murti in this ensemble is sculpted from panchaloha. Panchaloha is an alloy made from gold, silver, copper, zinc, and iron, a sacred concoction expounded in the shilpashastras (traditional Hindu texts on arts and crafts). Such a medium allows for rich detailing and also lends the sculpture that fair, golden sheen.
A Ramadurbar set such as the one you see on this page would be a fine addition to your poojana-kaksha (pooja room). Each statuette is poised on its own upturned-lotus pedestal, except for Hanuman whose one knee rests against a flat-topped plinth. The proportions of the Rama murti and pedestal are the biggest, followed by those of Lakshmana, Seeta, and Hanuman.
This elegant coterie of ‘Maryada Purushottam’ – Rama, and the figures of Lakshmana, Sita, and a kneeling Hanuman flanking him on both sides embodies the true victory of righteousness and goodwill over evil. Emblematic of the divine struggle presented in the 24,000 verses of the epic Ramayana, the court of Rama is symbolic of the virtues of the ideal husband, devoted brother, all-loving wife, and loyal companionship.
The central figure here – Rama, as the seventh incarnation of Vishnu, holds onto his celestial bow Sharanga, while his other hand carries the ‘yogadanda.’ The wooden rest, alluding to the ascetic exile that the figures had to endure, allows its user to meditate with ease while counting the beads of the rosary. Rama on the right is flanked by his dutiful brother Lakshmana, who stands in the same iconography. Since Rama is an avatar of Vishnu, Lakshmana is said to be a manifestation of Shesha, the eternal world serpent that is the primordial devotee of Vishnu (several instances show Shesha supporting the resting body of Vishnu – as Lakshmana strives to be for Rama himself, a refuge of rest and relaxation). To Rama’s left, we have Sita holding a lotus. As the form of Lakshmi, Sita is emblematic as a mother goddess, providing for love, purity, abundance – and important to the epic, sacrifice. The Darbar is completed with the kneeling figure of ‘Vayu-putra’ Hanuman performing a namaskaram in the ‘anjali mudra,’ the loyal and powerful companion that served every wish of his lord.
What makes the Ram Darbar image, cast in the ‘madhuchista vidhana’ bronze image, truly iconic is that in these four sculptural images we see the prime philosophy of Hinduism that calls for the union of the self with the Brahman – a union that is remarked with the soul (Rama), body, (Lakshmana), intellect (Sita), and mind (Hanuman).
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Visual Search
Manage Wishlist