This ornamental bronze work emulating the refined standards and aesthetics of Hoysala artistry pays a wonderful homage to the image of Gajalakshmi, or Lakshmi with elephants. Touted as the most significant aspect of the ‘Ashtalakshmi,’ or the eight forms of Lakshmi, this celestial figure portrays the Mother Goddess of Viashnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism seated on a lotus throne, and flanked by two elephants that are lustrating her, or pouring water over her.
Such Gajalakshmi images have been available to us as early as the second century BCE from the Buddhist site of Bharut, making it one of the earliest historical and visual images of the Hindu goddess. Lakshmi is seen seated in the yogic posture ‘padmasana,’ and her four arms are carrying the lotus and present the ‘abhaya mudra’ gesture and the ‘varada mudra’ gesture. As a symbol of prosperity, material wealth, good fortune, and abundant luck, the lotus in Gajalakshmi’s hands symbolise purity of thought, self-realisation, and knowledge, while the two gestures dispel fear from the hearts of the devotee and grant blessings of the deity. Elephants, moreover, symbolise grace, a royal presence, and divine strength. Gajalakshmi’s form therefore signifies the presence of the almighty that is benevolent, giving, knowledgeable, yet at the same time resplendent in royalty and powerful in spiritual liberation.
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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