This statue is that of a Samurai, the warrior class and self-sacrificing knights of Japan. In Japanese history the Samurai have played a variety of roles-commanders in the battlefield, assassins in the night, keepers of peace and that of aristocratic administrators. Here the Samurai is shown kneeling on his knees. This posture is known as Sonkyo-zo in Japanese. Both of his hands rest on his thighs

The saptamatrka is a set of interesting deities from the Hindu pantheon. They are the maternal manifestations (‘matrikas’) of seven (‘sapta’) Hindu devas; and, as divine manifestations, are distinct from the wives and companions of those devas. Devi Varahi, whose murti you see on this page, is one of the saptamatrkas. She is the ashtabhujadhari (eight-armed) maternal manifestation of Lord

Lord Hanuman is revered as a fine warrior and a great bhakta (devotee). As part of the vanara-sena that fought Lanka on Rama’s side, His valour and His love of Rama (and everything dear to Rama) are much talked about to this day. The fact that Hanuman is a superior yogi, possessed of the ashtasiddhis and the navanidhis, is oft overlooked. The murti that you see on this page is a solid-cast work

Devi Mariamman is the name given in South India to the more recognisable Sheetala Mata. She is known to infuse Her devotees with divine cool and calm ('sheetal' in Sanskrit means 'cool'). In Tamil, the suffix 'amma' stands for 'mother', denoting the nature of the people's devotion to Her. She has been traditionally worshipped as the curer and eradicator

There are nine names of Devi Durga –ShailPutri, Brahmacharini, etc; etc and hence known as Nava-Durga. During Navaratri festivals, all the Devis are worshipped in their particular avatars and celebrated all over the world with fanfare. Devi accepts all the names and proves itself in all forms. When you sit in meditation and deep inside, you will realize the different shakties and their mantras.