See It In Your Home
This lustrous wall hanging, a brass plaque cast with ornament-like fine details as the brass-like hard and uncompromising medium would yield with great difficulty, revealing rare beauty and charging the ambience with spiritual fervour, represents goddess Kali.
The image of the goddess has been conceived as a wall hanging. The brass piece is both, a ritual image as well as an art object.
When the space to adorn or to sanctify is the lintel or the face of an entrance, or its side planks, or when it is a space insufficient to accommodate a full image, a deity plaque is the best option for adorning it.
Aesthetically cast it beautifies a space, and by representing the most powerful divinity of Indian pantheon it spiritualizes the ambience with its divine aura. Similarly cast papier-mâché plaques of the goddess flood the markets in Bengal, as also other parts of the country, during Durga-puja festival. In Bengal one cannot find even the humblest of a hut without an image of Kali and to a larger part of populace a plaque is her most preferred form. From a clay-cast – the humblest, to a gold pendant – the richest, one can find such deity icons in an affordable medium.
The representation is typical to the Bengal cult that perceives Kali as Durga. It conceives the goddess with the same luminous fair-complexioned image – cast in a metal or produced in colours, as has Durga; however, for representing Kali in her own form as it enshrines other traditions of Kali imagery the artist has shaded with black tint the face of the goddess though he seems to have taken extra care to ensure that its lustre is least affected. Though the use of the black dye is just symbolic, a fine artistic manipulation this bit of lampblack like shade rubbed on the luminous face of the image has only further beautified it, perhaps by minimizing its extra lustre.
A symbolic icon : a partially revealed face, the forehead covered under the crown, and the neck, behind a necklace, the brass-piece, besides representing the great goddess in her two manifestations Durga and Kali, also represents with utmost thrust two most venerated art traditions of Bengal, one, the classical tradition of Pala bronzes, and the other, the Kalighat tradition of Kali images. While in its finesse, precise details, technical maturity and perfect execution, rare finish, delicately worked image and its overall quality it pursues the timeless idiom of Pala bronzes of early medieval centuries, in the adornment of the goddess that with its far greater proportion and emphasis dominates the image it pursues the folk line of the 19th century Kalighat art idiom still live in all forms of art in Bengal.
Unlike other folk art styles the folk element in Kalighat tradition is extremely decorative, observes geometric accuracy and produces rare aesthetic effect. The face of the goddess : the lower half, angular, and the upper, a semi-circle, prominent cheeks, eyes and eyebrows, raised upwards slanting at hundred twenty degree angle, and large awe-inspiring eye-balls, heavy lips and bold nose-ring, is typical to Kalighat folk style. The multi-tiered form of the crown with a temple-top that adorns the deity-image has almost rigidified in Kalighat style of the image of the goddess. Though incised with minute details and highly decorative in character the style of flowers, consisting of four leaves, not petals a flower usually consists of, the crown’s other sections, locks of hair and ear-ornaments all consisting of leaves or ferns are typical of Kalighat folk style.
Embracing the Divine Feminine: Understanding Kali and Her
Significance
Goddess Kali is one of the most powerful and revered deities in
Hinduism and is worshiped by many people across the globe
especially in the eastern part of India. She is considered to be
a ferocious form of Goddess Durga and is regarded as the
ultimate manifestation of Shakti. Goddess Kali also manifests as
the material nature and is regarded as the mother of all living
entities in the material world. Just like a caring mother, she
protects the living entities who follow the principles of Dharma
from demonic persons who always go against the laws of the
Supreme Lord.
Having a dark complexion, open hair, and bearing multiple arms
holding different weapons, Goddess Kali is often depicted
standing on the chest of Lord Shiva, her consort, as she
displays her rage toward the demon Raktabij. This pastime is
mentioned in various Puranas of Vedic literature in which
Goddess Kali severed the head of the demon who was creating
havoc on earth. This shows the protective nature of the Goddess.
The Vedic scriptures also mention that Goddess Kali is an
obedient devotee of the Supreme Lord Krishna or Vishnu who tests
living entities on their determination and devotion toward the
Lord.
What does Kali symbolize?
Goddess Kali is the manifestation of material nature. She is
like a benevolent mother who protects her children from any kind
of mishaps and misfortune. Mother Kali considers all living
entities her own children and takes care of them. She reforms
the forgetful souls who have turned their faces against the
Supreme Lord Krishna. Thus, she symbolizes mercy, compassion,
and kindness. Although she has a ferocious form, she is actually
carrying out the order of the Supreme Lord by utilizing her
power against those who blaspheme the Lord and do not abide by
His laws.
What is Kali worshiped for?
We can find thousands and lakhs of devotees of Goddess Kali all
over the world. She is especially venerated in the festival of
Kali Puja in the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam, and
Odisha. Being a merciful Goddess, she fulfills the desires of
her devotees. Some people worship Goddess Kali for some material
gains and profits and receive her blessings. However, those who
serve her selflessly and approach her to know about the Absolute
Truth and the real aim of human life, receive the highest
benediction of Goddess Kali. Being a devotee of the Supreme Lord
Krishna, she bestows her blessings upon them and guides them to
the path of devotion toward the Lord.
Where to place Kali statue at home?
Keeping the deity of Goddess Kali at home is very auspicious. If
you worship her regularly with faith and devotion, she will
become pleased and will shower her blessings upon you. Knowing
that she is worthy of our respectful obeisance is important and
therefore, you should not keep or handle her deity with a casual
attitude. You must keep the deity on your home altar.
The Fierce and Powerful Goddess Durga: Discovering the Symbolism
and Significance
Goddess Durga is a revered deity in Hinduism and she is
worshiped by many people in the eastern part of India and also
in other countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh. She is
considered the mother of this material world who takes care of
the conditioned souls trapped in the material existence. She
protects them from the demons who threaten peace and establishes
Dharma. In the Shakta tradition or Shaktism (those who believe
that feminine energy is supreme), Mother Durga has been given
the highest position. She is often considered the expansion of
Mother Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva who is the destroyer
of the material world. The Vaishnavas consider Mother Durga as
the external energy of the Supreme Lord Krishna or Vishnu. She
takes charge of the material world and reforms those souls who
do not abide by the rules of the Supreme Lord.
Mother Durga is often depicted as a young and beautiful woman,
wearing a saree, and sitting on a tiger or lion. She has
multiple arms (usually ten arms) that hold different items and
weapons that express her martial skills. She tramples down the
demon Mahishasura, with her trident, representing the subduer of
vices.
What does Durga symbolize?
Being the powerful assistant of the Supreme Lord, Mother Durga
tests our dedication to the Lord. She represents the material
nature and like a loving mother, she gives a clarion call to all
forgetful souls to turn their faces towards Lord Krishna, who is
the only well-wisher of all living entities. The depiction of
her violently killing the demon Mahishasura with her trident
shows her extraordinary prowess. Mahishasura represents our
demoniac mentality that wants to enjoy separately from the
Supreme Lord, forgetting our eternal relationship with Him.
Goddess Durga killing the demon symbolizes the victory of good
over evil or wisdom over ignorance.
Where are Durga statues made in Kolkata?
The worship of Goddess Durga is prominent in festivals such as
Durga Puja, Durga Ashtami, Navaratri, etc. On those days, people
gather at a place and a big idol or deity of Goddess Durga is
worshiped with faith and devotion. These idols of the Goddess
are made in a place called Kumortuli, located near Kolkata, West
Bengal. This city is renowned for its beautiful clay sculptures
made by local manufacturers.
Can we keep Durga idol at home?
You can keep a Durga deity at your home if you want to attract
her mercy into your life. Goddess Durga is very merciful toward
her devotees and when pleased, she bestows them with both
material and spiritual benefits. Those who approach and worship
Goddess Durga with material desires in their hearts, she
fulfills them. But if a person genuinely approaches her and
prays to her to reveal about the Absolute Truth and the real
goal of human life to them, being the superintendent of the
Supreme Lord Vishnu, she blesses them with the light of
knowledge about the Lord and inspires them to walk the path of
devotion to Lord Vishnu.
How to keep a Brass statue well-maintained?
Brass statues are known and appreciated for their exquisite beauty and luster. The brilliant bright gold appearance of Brass makes it appropriate for casting aesthetic statues and sculptures. Brass is a metal alloy composed mainly of copper and zinc. This chemical composition makes brass a highly durable and corrosion-resistant material. Due to these properties, Brass statues and sculptures can be kept both indoors as well as outdoors. They also last for many decades without losing all their natural shine.
Brass statues can withstand even harsh weather conditions very well due to their corrosion-resistance properties. However, maintaining the luster and natural beauty of brass statues is essential if you want to prolong their life and appearance.
- The best and simplest way to maintain a brass statue is to clean it at least twice a week using a soft cloth or cotton rag. This will prevent dust from accumulating on the surface. Dusting is especially important for outdoor statues since it is prone to dust accumulation much more than indoors.
- To give a natural shine and luster to the statue, you may apply coconut or olive oil using cotton on every portion. You can use a toothbrush to get to the small crevices but do not be too harsh. This will make the brass statue appear fresh and new with a polished look.
In case you have a colored brass statue, you may apply mustard oil using a soft brush or clean cloth on the brass portion while for the colored portion of the statue, you may use coconut oil with a cotton cloth.
Brass idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are especially known for their intricate and detailed work of art. Nepalese sculptures are famous for small brass idols portraying Buddhist deities. These sculptures are beautified with gold gilding and inlay of precious or semi-precious stones. Religious brass statues can be kept at home altars. You can keep a decorative brass statue in your garden or roof to embellish the area and fill it with divinity.