Ardhanarishvara is a Sanskrit term which is a blend of three words; ‘Ardha’ meaning half, ‘Nari’ meaning female, and ‘Ishvara’ meaning Lord. Ardhanarishvara, ‘The half-female Lord’, is a form of Lord Shiva combined with his divine consort Devi Parvati. The form represents the feminine energy and the masculine energy of the Supreme Lord, and illustrates that the Shakti or the internal potency (prakriti) and the Lord or the diving being (purusha) are inseparable.
This special idol shows the left half of Ardhanarishvara as the female, and the right half as the male, standing on a lotus pedestal in tribhanga posture. The Shiva half is wearing a mukuta of piled matted hair and thin strands come out from his head. He has two arms; a mace between the two fingers of the upper hand, and Varada Mudra (boon-granting gesture) of the lower hand. He has a broad and plain chest, muscular thigh, and a strong shoulder. A sacred thread (yagnopavita) can be seen across his chest.
The left half, Parvati, is crowned with a beautiful mukuta and the ear is adorned with Valika kundala (earring). She has a curvier and thin waist than the male part of the icon, and is wearing a perfectly pleated silk dhoti down to her ankle. Her one slender arm is embellished with gold armlets and the hand gracefully holds a lotus. Thus, this form shows the interdependence of Lord Shiva on his divine power, embodied as Parvati.
Eternal Brilliance Unveiled: The Mystique of Panchaloha Bronze and Artful Maintenance Rituals
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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