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 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

This large mythical bird is a representation of birth and heaven and an enemy of snakes, carrying amalgamated features of an eagle and human. Here it sits on a large stylized throne crowned with long and fancy peacock feathers and two peacock torsos heading out at the seat from either side. Garuda is the vahana of Lord Vishnu and appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology. It is carved here

A many-layered Ganesha idol, designed for the finest home or office temple. A traditional-style plinth carved with elongated lotus petals. Featuring a simple floral structure down the frontal midline. The mouse vahana of gigantic proportions, on all four on its surface. It is craning its head back to glance at the Lord Ganesha statue on its back. This Ganesha murti depicts the chaturbhujadhari Lor

Off the flute of the young and handsome Lord Venugopala, emerges divine music. The kind that perpetrated the woods and alleyways of Vrindavan not so long ago. The kind that uplifts and cleanses and elevates, makes space in the heart for bhakti. The desi cow that supports the figure of Lord Krishna in this composition is the very picture of bhakti. He looks up at his friend, the neck at a sharp ang

Son of Shiva, warrior and protector and upholder of dharma. The all-powerful shodashabhujadhari (sixteen-armed) Roopa (form) of Lord Ganesha is quite the rarity. The panchaloha medium, a bronze made of five (‘pancha’) iron-based (‘loha’) alloys, and the traditional madhuchista vidhana or lost-wax make, add to the value of this Ganesha murti as a work of art. Lord Ganesha Bronze Statue stan

Much has been written about Ganesha. As Hindu dharma's most adorable boy-deity, He has inspired countless artisans and painters, and poets across the subcontinent since time immemorial; and how could He not? So overcome by love are His devotees - and so widespread His followers - that His form is ubiquitous on the streets, inside homes, and across commercial establishments in India. This is b

Garuda 'the devourer' is the mythical 'Lord of birds' in both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In the Hindu Puranic legends, Garuda is the son of Kashyapa and Vinata. He is said to have emerged, fully grown, from an egg, after incubating for five hundred years. Garuda has always been the sworn enemy of snakes and nagas. The archetypal legend of the enmity that exists between

This three feet tall gold-like glittering brass statue, a highly accomplished example of the art of metal casting, represents Krishna in flute-playing Tribhanga three-curved form. As if overwhelmed by the melody pouring from his flute a phenomenon that ears fail to experience but whose sweet fragrance the eyes savor, the entire image appears to burst into a divine rapture. The smile, which his cut

Lord Krishna is the god of compassion, love, and tenderness and is revered as one of the prominent avatars of Lord Vishnu in Hinduism. Krishna is interpreted as ‘all-attractive’, as the aura of his charm and purity captivates the eyes of the viewer. The beautiful brass sculptures you see on this page, depict Lord Krishna in his iconic Tribhanga posture, where the left leg crosses the right fro

Lord Hanuman with five faces staring in different directions is the most magnificent, powerful, and revered form. He assumed this form when he was assigned with the responsibility of protecting Lord Ram’s life. According to the legend, Ravana asked one of his brothers, Mahiravana (King of the netherworld) to kidnap Lord Rama and Lakshman. The demon Mahiravana’s soul rested in five lamps and to

Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, and luxury and Lord Ganesha is the remover of obstacles and the patron of arts and sciences. These deities are mostly worshipped together as there is no wealth without prosperity and no money without wisdom. This superfine sculpture hand-carved with Kadam Wood of Rajasthan shows Goddess Lakshmi towards the right of Ganesha, signifying

The archaic period of art began to show interest in marble. Limestone sculpture is the art of creating, convincing realistic figure which produces natural and expressive movement. Such is the Saraswati sculpture. She is a marvel of knowledge, music, art, speech, and learning. The goddess is depicted as a beautiful woman clothed in pure white. She is garlanded in a golden throne which represents th

Black marble- the lustrous dark stone is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful materials used in the making of idols of Hindu gods and goddesses. Its sturdiness and mysterious shine bring the residents of the heavens to the simple abode of us humans. Though suitable for all kinds of statues and images, the manner in which black marble is used in this enchanting Sri Krishna idol is mesmerizing. Res

Godhead of Hindu trinity deities and the most popular incarnation of Lord Vishnu- Lord Krishna or Murlimanohar is the leader, hero, protector, teacher, and a friend of all. He is the ruler, not only of religion and philosophy, but also mysticism, literature, and all aspects of Indian folklore. Here he stands on a flourishing carved multilayered leveled-up inverted lotus in his run-of-the-mill cros

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

Balaji is considered Lord Vishnu's Kaliyug Avatar. Lord Tirupati Balaji is believed to be so powerful that mere sight of the idol is enough to emancipate a man from a lifetime of suffering. Lord Venkateshwara Statue is a full four-armed representation of Vishnu. But only two are visible from the front. Lord Balaji is shown having a U shaped tilak on his forehead which is the signature style t

India’s rich spirituality begins with Lord Ganesha; softens the karma and guides dharma. Ganesha reigns over our beginnings, our changes, earthly decisions and problems. This wonderful Hindu deity is the one closest to the material plane of consciousness, most easily contacted and most able to assist us in our day-to-day life and concerns. The superfine carvings of this brass sculpture form a re

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

A compactly carved figure of Devi Lakshmi. Poised within a makeshift temple on a double-layered lotus-bloom plinth. From the iconography to the style of the surrounding temple structure, this composition borrows heavily from Hoysala aesthetics. It is the name given to the art and architecture that flourished under the patronage of the Hoysala rulers in South India. The tradition dates back to the

Shitala Mata is a folk deity and an incarnation of supreme Goddess Durga; cures poxes, sores, ghouls, pustules, and diseases. Shitala literally means ‘one who cools’ and is referred to as ‘ma’ or ‘mata’ as she, just like a mother cures her children of diseases and other evil spirits and ghosts. She is known by various names, Jagrani (queen of the world), Karunamayi (full of mercy), Man

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 side by side with the te