Ashtabhujadharini Goddess Durga Wooden Wall Panel | Home Wall Decoration Items

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The warm red tonality of her flesh, achieved through layered pigments on wood, signifies shakti: vital energy, auspiciousness, and divine radiance. Her green saree, intricately carved and rhythmically pleated, evokes fertility, renewal, and the sustaining aspects of nature. Ornamentation is richly articulated: necklaces, girdle, anklets, and crown are detailed with painterly highlights that heighten dimensionality while preserving the organic warmth of wood.

Encircling her form is a lotus-petal prabhavali crowned by a kirtimukha, the protective “face of glory” that devours negativity and guards sacred thresholds. The lion, her vahana, is depicted with expressive alertness, symbolizing courage and sovereign might. The application of mineral and vegetal pigments upon carved wood softens contours, deepens shadow, and lends the sculpture a living, ritual presence. The result is a harmonious convergence of carving precision, chromatic symbolism, and devotional aesthetics rooted firmly in India’s temple-art tradition.

Hints of ochre red on the limbs of the great goddess have given this wooden Maa Durga statue a splendid roopa (form) that appears to be glowing distinctively with a solar luminosity. A sharply arched aureole formed with a plentitude of vegetation that also springs forth from the gaping mouth of the Kirtimukha (face of glory) on the top, is placed behind the standing goddess Durga statue, which depicts the mother goddess in a potent Ashtabhuja (eight-armed) form adorned with exquisite ornaments.

An ornate Kiritamukuta  (high raising crown) frames the beautiful countenance of Mahishasurmardini, whose thick arched eyebrows, large almond eyes, fine nose with Vesara (nose ring), and soft lips lend a charming liveliness to the wooden statue. Devi Durga, who is the primeval female has the ideal of femininity oozing from her physique and delicate posture. An elegant green colored dhoti (lower body garment) secured by an elaborate waistband is the only cloth worn by the goddess in this wooden statue, which unveils the unbounded etherealness of Maa Durga excellently.

Sculpting Serenity: Unveiling the Art of Crafting Wood Statues

Wood has been a preferred material for sculptures and statues since ancient times. It is easy to work with than most metals and stones and therefore requires less effort to shape it into any desired shape or form. The texture of the wood gives an element of realism to the sculpture. The selection of an appropriate wood type is necessary for carving. Woods that are too resinous or coniferous are not considered good for carving as their fiber is very soft and thus lacks strength. On the other hand, wood such as Mahogany, Oakwood, Walnut wood, Weet cherry wood, etc., are preferred by sculptors because their fiber is harder. A wood sculptor uses various tools such as a pointed chisel in one hand and a mallet in another to bring the wood to the desired measurement and to make intricate details on it. A carving knife is used to cut and smooth the wood. Other tools such as the gouge, V-tool, and coping saw also serve as important tools in wood carving. Although the wood carving technique is not as complex and tough as stone carving or metal sculpting, nonetheless, a wood carver requires a high level of skills and expertise to create a stunning sculpture.

1. Selecting the right wood

The process of wood carving begins with selecting a chunk of wood that is required according to the type and shape of the statue to be created by the sculptor. Both hardwoods and softwoods are used for making artistic pieces, however, hardwoods are preferred more than softer woods because of their durability and longevity. But if heavy detailing is to be done on the statue, wood with fine grain would be needed as it would be difficult to work with hardwood.

2. Shaping the wood

Once the wood type is selected, the wood carver begins the general shaping process using gouges of various sizes. A gouge is a tool having a curved cutting edge which is useful in removing large unwanted portions of wood easily without splitting the wood. The sculptor always carves the wood across the grain of the wood and not against it.

3. Adding detailing

When a refined shape of the statue is obtained, it is time for making details on the statue using different tools. This is achieved by using tools such as a veiner to make and a V-tool to create decorative and sharp cuts.

4. Surface finishing

Once finer details have been added, the sculptor is ready to smoothen the surface and give it a perfect finish. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are used to get a smooth surface. The finer polishing is obtained by rubbing the surface with sandpaper. If a textured surface is required, this step is skipped. Finally, to protect the statue from excessive dirt accumulation, the sculptor applies natural oils such as walnut or linseed oil all over it. This also brings a natural sheen to the statue.