Nara-Narayana, sages who were the incarnations of Bhagavan Vishnu were deep into austerities when Devas alarmed by their powers, sent celestial nymphs to disrupt their effort. Reacting to this nuisance, Narayana placed a lotus flower on his thigh, from which an unmatchable beauty emerged. She was Urvashi, the maiden whose beauty put to shame all the women of the Devlok. Among the many lessons from

Sri Hanuman is one of the most widely revered gods of the Hindu pantheon. This imposing, bejeweled statue of the Lord captures His divine appeal to perfection: the resplendence of all three looks pours forth from the skin, while His muscles give away His superhuman strength. The clenched fist, the parting of His legs, and the angle of His mace - without which His iconography is incomplete - are in

In Sanskrit, Nata means dance and raja means Lord. There is an interesting legend behind the conception of Shiva as Nataraja: In a dense forest in South India, there dwelt multitudes of heretical sages. Thither proceeded Shiva to confute them, accompanied by Vishnu disguised as a beautiful woman. The sages were at first led to violent dispute amongst themselves, but their anger was soon directed a

The art-loving Hoysala dynasty of Karnataka was responsible for building a number of temples between the 10th the 14th centuries. They lent their name to a timeless standard of architecture, iconography, and aesthetics, a fine example of which could be seen on this page. It is a murti of Lord Vishnu with His wives, Bhudevi and Shridevi. The tall, slender form. The proportions between limb and crow

There is more to the adorable laughing Buddha than meets the eye. His face bursts forth with the mirth of enlightenment. His rucksack contains the bare essentials of a Bodhisattva, which is not much, but He is supremely content. A string of prayer beads graces His ample neck. The laughing Buddha, who lived in Zhejiang during the rule of Later Liang, was reputed to be a Buddha of benevolent charact

Lord Shiva, the auspicious one, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism and is also known as Mahadeva or the Supreme God. He is known for his attributes of being benign, the Beneficient, and the Lord and God. He possesses greater powers than most Hindu Gods and has incredible endurance and remarkable speed due to the increased reflexes from his four arms and can even manipulate power but not a

The panchamukha-roopa is common to many deities in the Hindu pantheon. The word ‘panchamukha’ is a portmanteau of ‘pancha’, which means five, and ‘mukha’, which means face. The murti that you see on this page is of the Panchamukha Vinayaka (another name for Ganesha). Each of the five faces stands for the yogic koshas or layers of existence. It is a murti of Vengai wood, derived from a

The Skanda Purana, one of the 18 Puranas paints a word picture for the devotee and the seeker – of the marriage of Shiva and Parvati. As a part of the Hindu marriage ceremony, Lord Shiva was asked to name his lineage. But who could know about the family of “Svayambhu”- he who originated from the earth, thus had no parentage? To soothe the anxious heart of the parents of Parvati- Himalaya and

Buddhism was first very important solely among the people of Tibet, but it gradually increased in popularity all over the world. Gautama Buddha, the first Buddha to achieve enlightenment, founded it. Tibet worships Buddha as a supernatural being rather than a deity and his teachings are a significant source of positivity and harmony among his followers. Buddha mudras and postures are examples of s

The silhouette of Ganesha is unmistakable. The chubby limbs, the pot belly, the signature trunk, and the large ears are each enough to give away His sacred presence. The adorable boy-deity of the Hindu pantheon, Ganesha is arguably the most deeply loved deity; His icons, the most widely stocked up on. This Ganesha is small enough to fit into the palm of the devotee, the gracious lines of the sculp

Salutations to Lord Ganesha -son of Uma-Mahadev, who has an elephant-head, being attended by the band of his followers (GANANATHA), dines his favourite wood-apple and rose–apple fruits, who is the cause of the destruction of all sorrows, Whose feet are like lotus. One should observe Ganesha with full devotion, feel his qualities and waves such as immensity, pride and fearlessness, immense streng

A standing Ganesha is one of the most rarely seen postures of Ganesha sculptures. Here he stands diligently on a thick pedestal having a green grassy platform with the mouse towards his left foot, busy eating modak. This sculpture is chiseled out of a single piece of white translucent marble that allows light to enter and produce a soft glow while retaining its high polish. Have a look at the beau

This is a stylized statue of the brass form of Lord Ganesha (the god of remover of obstacles and provider of happiness). The quirky long trunk is forming a ‘C’ and resting on his folded legs. A slight outstretch from the sides at the top represent his artistic ears. There is a small leaf-like texture on the right knee symbolizing his hand blessing people for fearlessness. The sharp eyes are lo

A one-of-a-kind standing Buddha sculpture. Usually depicted as a seated figure nestled in the belly of a lotus, Siddhartha Gautama had a long past before He sat down at the foot of the Bodhi tree. He had spent years wandering the dense Himalayan foothills as an ascetic and the great Northern plains as a mendicant. The murti that you see on this page is of the wandering mendicant, seemingly just ar

Hindu religion is a massive expanse spanning countless sects, traditions, and cultures. While some are just nice and elegant, some go beyond the societal norms to realize their spiritual quest. In her essence, Kali is the divine protector of her devotees, protecting them from the forces of evil, and bestows her grace upon those who open their hearts to her. This brass statue depicts kali in her fi

The majestic Lord Ganesha is seated on an upturned-lotus throne. This chaturbhujadhari (the one possessed of four arms) figure seated in lalitasana is a widely loved and worshipped roopa (form) of the deity. What makes this a unique work of art is the medium in which it is fashioned and the finesse with which it has been executed. It is a panchaloha sculpture handpicked from the finest studios of

Icons depicting Shiva as the Lord of Dance (Nataraja) seem to have originated in the North in Gupta times, and developed in the South under the post-Gupta Vishnukundin dynasty early in the seventh century. One of the first southern sculptures is a colossal dancing figure carved upon the cliff face above the facade of a cave- temple at Mogallarajapuram on the Krishna river. The Pallavas took up the

A delicate Radha-Krishna ensemble to fill your home or office with divine amorous cheer. Made with pure manual skill and a great deal of devotion, these manifest themselves in the fine lines of the silhouette and the expressive composure of both faces. The murtis are discrete, which means that they are on separate plinths. Pristine complexion, fine eyes. Thick blonde curls. Tall, jewel-encrusted c

The primordial female energy, the invisible Shakti (power) that is the basis of all our actions, armed with the power of all the gods, becomes the great goddess, Durga. The slayer of Mahishaur- Mahishasurmardini and the mother of the universe, Jagadamba, Devi Durga is the female element at the peak of its beauty and ferocity. In the terms of Hindu esoteric philosophy, Maa Durga among many things i

Garuda is said to be the devourer of all the evils on earth; it is an immortal mythological bird revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike. This king of birds is the vahana of Lord Vishnu and is said to exterminate the entire oceans full of snakes. In Mahabharata, he is invoked as a symbol of impetuous force, speed, and martial prowess. This statue shown here is carved out of superfine teak wood by ex

A one-of-a-kind bitone Buddha composition. The predominant color is black, which has the unmistakable sheen of marble. The medium captures the otherworldly glamour of the erstwhile Shakyamuni. The complementary color, white, is to be found in the dotted raiment clothing of the seated figure, which makes for a surreal visual experience. Legs gathered in the perfect padmasana - heels together direct

Devi Durga is a feminine epitome of strength and a divine potency responsible for keeping this material world in order and decorum; she is an embodiment of ferocity as well as compassion who holds equal parts as a destroyer and creator both. This brass statue is painted in enchanting brown and golden color combination with the divinity perched in lalitasana on a ferocious lion (Durga’s vahan

Karttikeya, also known as Murugan, Skanda, Kumara,and Subrahmanya, is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, brother of Ganesha, and a god whose life story has many versions in Hinduism. He is a philosopher-warrior, who destroyed evil in the form of the demon Taraka while teaching the pursuit of ethical life and the theology of Shaiva Siddhanta. After many exploits which proved

Jagadguru Shankaracharya or Adi Shankaracharya was an 8th-century Hindu philosopher and theologian who set up four monasteries in North, East, and West India which were known as Mathias. He is also known for the consolidation of the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. He is also regarded for unifying and forming the ongoing important thoughts in Hinduism. Adi was also the founder of 'Dashanami Sampr

The image of the gently reclining Ganesha wooden statue endears Him to us all. The chubby, elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati is widely revered for His childlike appeal. The twin qualities of innocence and wisdom pour forth from His every iconography, including and especially the one that you see on this page. On a bed of lotus petals of varying colors, reclines the Lord. A bolster under His