As molten panchaloha bronze gets poured into the wax mold devotedly prepared by the skilled hands of sthapathis, they reminisce about the man who came to be known as the first teacher. The wax is drained away, lending the name ‘lost wax’ to the art form, and what emerges is the idol of Lord Dattatreya, accompanied by four dogs and a cow. The four dogs represent the four vedas—Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda—and the cow presents as the embodiment of nourishment.
Born to the rishi Atri and his wife Anusuya, he was born without a guru (teacher) to guide his way. But he was a curious child and wanted to know the goings on in the world. So, from an early age, he started on a pilgrimage whose destination was knowledge. He took observations from everything in nature and in the end, learned many things from a total of twenty four things. It is because of that reason that he is revered as the first teacher and remembered as such. The stapathis, in this idol, have designed him to stand with his three heads, a nod to the boon that the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva had given him.
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Visual Search
Manage Wishlist