This highly ornate and exquisitely beautiful wall depicts the ten major forms or ‘avatars’ of Vishnu, along with three important symbols of the Vaishnavite tradition. Such wall hangings form an integral part of the Hindu household, and typically placed over a door or a walkway, these symbolise as spiritual gateways.
Vishnu’s presence as the supreme god of preservation dictates his duty that as the protector of good and the ‘para brahman,’ his divine powers are always working to keep the righteous cycle of dharma in balance. Thus, in every ‘yuga’ or age, Vishnu has manifested himself in various avatars to cleanse the earth from the evils of adharma. From the left, we see Matsya, the fish avatar; Kurma, the tortoise avatar;’ Varaha, or the half boar/half man avatar; Narasimha, the half lion/half man avatar; Vamana, the dwarf avatar; Parashurama, the warrior avatar;’ Rama, the king of righteousness and morality; Balrama, an extension of Ananta Shesha and the elder brother of Krishna; Krishna, the mischievous avatar central to the Mahabharata; and Hayagriva, the half horse/half man avatar that reigns as the god of knowledge and wisdom. Kalki’s absence as the final form is a reminder to the viewer that that avatar of Vishnu is yet to come, for its coming shall herald the end of our current ‘yuga.’
The other three symbols in place are the ‘shankha’ or conch in the lower left, the ‘sudarshana chakra’ or war discus at the lower right, and the ‘Urdhava Pundra tilak’ or mark placed on the top. The ‘tilak,’ specifically the ‘sricharanam’ here, is a mark of identification that members of the Sri Vaishnava tradition wear. The two outer lines represent the feet of Vishnu, while the middle part represents Lakshmi.
WHAT IS PANCHALOHA BRONZE AND HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT ?
Bronze is a metal alloy that has the primary composition of Copper and Tin. There is also an addition of other metals such as Manganese, Aluminium, Nickel, and some non-metals such as Phosphorus. This composition of several metals and non-metals makes Bronze an extremely durable and strong metal alloy. It is for this reason that Bronze is extensively used for casting sculptures and statues. Since Bronze has a low melting point, it usually tends to fill in the finest details of a mould and when it cools down, it shrinks a little that makes it easier to separate from the mould.
" If you happen to have a bronze statue, simply use a cotton cloth with some coconut oil or any other natural oil to clean the statue. "
A village named Swamimalai in South India is especially known for exceptionally well-crafted Bronze icons of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The skilled artisans of this place use Panchaloha Bronze for casting the icons. Panchaloha Bronze is made of five metals; Copper, Zinc, Lead, and small quantities of Gold and Silver. Zinc gives a golden hue to the finished figure and Lead makes the alloy softer for the easy application of a chisel and hammer. The common technique for producing these statues and sculptures is the “Lost-wax” method. Because of the high durability of bronze sculptures and statues, less maintenance is required, and can still last up to many decades.
Exotic India takes great pride in its collection of hand-picked Panchaloha Statues. You will find the murtis of Gods (Krishna, Hanuman, Narasimha, Ganesha, Nataraja, and Kartikeya) and Goddesses (Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, and Parvati), and Buddha statues. You can also buy Ritual paraphernalia (Wicks lamp, Puja Kalash, Cymbals, and Puja Flag) on the website. All these statues and items have been made with a lot of care and attention, giving them a flawless finish. Their fine carving detail represents the rich tradition of India.
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