The image of Lord Krishna atop the head of Kaliya is of great significance. Essentially, it is an image of the proverbial victory of dharma over adharma, of sattva over tamas, of life over death. Legend has it that the venomous Kaliya had made a home for himself in the depths of the Yamuna at Vrindavan. When a number of the Lord’s cowherd friends and the innocent bovines in their care drink its waters and succumb to his venom, He appears on the scene and vanquishes Kaliya. When it turns out that Kaliya had been in Vrindavan in order to escape His enemy, Lord Garuda, the Lord imprints the mark of His foot on the hood of the snake as an indication to Garuda to spare him. As such, the sculpture that you see on this page is a visual narrative of the twin prevalence of sattva and tamas, life and death, and dharma and adharma.
Fashioned from bronze, the composition is an earth-coloured monotone. Having accepted defeat, Kaliya joins His hands in the namaskaram mudra. His long, substantial tail is in the hands of the powerful Krishna, whose one foot rests on top of his many hoods. The lithe Krishna is a sight to behold, what with the nrtya of His stance and the aashirvada mudra of His free hands. The tranquil composure of His face completes the victorious narrative.
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