The embodiment of sacrifice and the savior of Earth, Vishnu’s third avatar, Varaha, is presented in a highly charged form in this ‘panchaloha’ bronze sculptural image, along with his consort Varahi, or the Earth goddess Bhudevi. This visual presentation is also symbolic of what Hinduism today celebrates as Varaha Jayanti, which marks the mythological celebration of Varaha defeating Hiranyaks

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

The embodiment of sacrifice and the savior of Earth, Vishnu’s third avatar, Varaha, is presented in a highly charged form in this ‘panchaloha’ bronze sculptural image, along with his consort Varahi, or the Earth goddess Bhudevi. This visual presentation is also symbolic of what Hinduism today celebrates as Varaha Jayanti, which marks the mythological celebration of Varaha defeating Hiranyaks

Nataraja is the most popular representation of the Hindu God Shiva. In Sanskrit, Nata means dance and raja means Lord. Shiva, therefore, is the 'King of Dancers'. To understand the concept of Nataraja we have to understand the idea of dance itself. Like yoga, dance induces trance, ecstasy, and the experience of the divine. In India consequently, dance has flourished with the terrific aus

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

This exceptionally ornate brass statue is an example of highly balanced anatomy with delightfully distributed right and left – a strange symmetry with the center unable to contain its line and mincing to the figure’s overall rhythm: the navel and abdomen tilting to the left, and the little inflated right breast, to further right, represents Lord Ganesha in a posture as if commanding and assuri

Sri Maha Shodashi is a Hindu goddess and is an aspect of Mahadevi mainly worshipped in Shaktism, a goddess-oriented sect of Hinduism. She is also revered as one of the prominent Mahavidyas. She is glorified in many Shakta texts, with Lalita Sahasranama being the most popular one. Sri Maha Shodashi is also known as Tripura Sundari, Rajarajeshwari, and Lalita. She is a personification of Supreme Ene

Amalgamated in beautiful smoky grey and gold colors, Nataraja, while dancing in ecstasy rules over his conscious fearful yet caring nature. This rare Nataraja posture triumphs joyfully on the demon dwarf Apasmara, who embodies ignorances of the world and here sits with his implements in his hands on a three-layered heightened pedestal carved in mesmerizing highlighted lotus petals. Nataraja Bra

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With his legendary flute in hand, the Supreme Lord Krishna stands cast in bronze, his graceful pose with his legs crossed acting as a hallmark to the elaborate carvings of the Hoysala architecture. In the form of Venugopal, Lord Krishna becomes the protector of cows and the owner of the flute Venu. His face is at utter peace and serenity as he plays his flute, harmonious notes pleasing to the ears

This remarkable sculpture is made of special bronze from Swamimalai, a town in an Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The ancient technique by which it is made is called as Madhuchista Vidhana (Lost-wax process), which is the specialty of the heritage of South Indian sculptors. Sri Vallabha Ganapati, also known as Maha Vallabha Ganapati is one among the 32 forms of Lord Ganesha. The leader of the Ganas of

Lord Buddha hailed from a royal family, of the Shakya clan, hailing from the modern Indo-Nepal border. As a young man, he renounced his aristocratic heritage and embraced the life of an ascetic beggar. Buddha understood the fallacies of materialistic attachments. He taught to his followers that this attachment was the root of all suffering. It's notable however that Buddha never advocated com

Lord Hanuman sits down balanced on a single knee. He sets the mace down to His right, and gathers His hands in the namaskaram mudra. This mudra conveys an acknowledgement of the divine contained within the entity afore oneself. In the case of the great Hanuman, it is none other than Lord Rama before whom He bows. The face with the protruding jaws that bear striking resemblance to a monkey.

Lord Hanuman is known to be a popular symbol of strength and selfless devotee of Lord Rama in Hinduism. It is said that he is the only God who is still present on Earth in various forms as per Sita’s blessing of being there for his devotees forever. The sculptor has kept up to the key characteristics of Lord Hanuman of devotion, courage, and self-discipline while carving out this sculpture, as c

It is not just His childlike innocence that makes Ganesha one of the most popular deities of the Indian pantheon. The adorable form of a chubby little boy, His generosity with blessings and boons, and that unfailing love of laddoos - so much so that His iconography is incomplete without a bunch of the delectable Indian sweetmeat in the picture - endear Him to His devotees. The fateful Samudra-Mant

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

Huge statue waterfall

In the Shaiva shrines of South India, the wife of Mahadeva Shiva- Parvati, resides as Shivakamasundari – the beautiful woman who is the sole focus of Shiva’s passionate love. Resonating with her descriptions in the Hindu textual traditions, Devi Parvati in her sculptures appears as a divine amalgamation of yoga (spiritual attainment) and Bhoga (material fulfilments). Maa Parvati’s standing i

This image is that of Dakini Vajrayogini. A Dakini is the most important female principle in Tantric Buddhism, representing the ever-changing flow of female energy. They are the guardians of teachings and are considered the supreme embodiments of wisdom. The Dakini can help change human weaknesses into wisdom and understanding, and the concept of self into enlightened energy. There are two kinds o

Durga-Mahishasurmardini, the Hindu mother goddess who battles the demonic forces and rescues her children is a popular deity not just in India, but in the rest of South Asia as well. Mingling with the local legends and beliefs, Maa Durga took new, magnificent forms, all the while remaining the protector mother. One such form of the great-goddess is known as Bathari Durga or Chandi in the island na

The vitarka mudra is of great importance in Buddhist iconography. The enlightened one sits in a stable padmasana and raises the right hand in the stance of dispensing vidya (awareness). This is called vitarka in Sanskrit; while ‘mudra’ refers to the stance of the hands in particular. As you could see in the murti on this page, the forefinger curves forward to touch the tips with the thumb, and

Lord Buddha is the embodiment of peace, compassion, and happiness. The variation in the iconography of Buddha statues reflects through various hand gestures and sitting postures. In this idol, Buddha’s right hand is in Vitarka Mudra representing him in the state when he is transmitting teachings to the disciples while his left hand holds a begging bowl for alms. Exotic India presents a brass sta

The Hindu deity, Bhagwan Krishna is famous for his naughty leelas with Radha and other gopis of Gokul, the intense charm of his face, and the Madhur (melodious) tunes arousing from his flute. This sculpture of Krishna depicts him as standing on a rectangular thick brass block etched in a realistic stone-like pattern. He is postured in his iconic tribhanga posture with the left leg bent forward and

This youthful, valiant posture of Ganesha, the epitome of achievement and self-mastery, sits in Utkutakasana pose on a throne having a rectangular brick-like base with two white mice carved on it, facing opposite directions, holding a laddoo and a long back curved at the top, orange in color, bordered with thick gold color. The chaturbhuja Ganesha holds laddoos (his favorite sweet) and radish, as

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