The urdhvatandava stance of the dancing Shiva is immortalised in the ancient Thillai Nataraja temple in Cidambaram. The murti that you see on this page depicts the Nataraja in this stance: the right leg is raised high behind the spine, such that the sole of the foot almost touches the back of His crown. Sculpted from pure brass, the dancing figure is balanced on the toes of the left foot. The Lord

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

Over the years, Buddhist-Tantric traditions have incorporated numerous elements of Hinduism. Its deities are no exception: they have varied iconographies in different, predominantly Buddhist countries. The murti that you see on this page is of the Japanese Devi Durga. She is known as Butsu-Mo or Koti-Sri and is worshipped as a wrathful protectoress. The Japanese Durga is seated in padmasana on a l

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 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 to descr

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 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

Dharma-Artha-kama-moksha (virtue, finances, pleasure, liberation) - these are the four Purusharthas or pursuits of a person, in Hinduism. Goddess Lakshmi’s four hands, the most common attributes attached to her iconography, represent these four life goals. It is well established that in the pursuit of any of the above-mentioned goals, Ma Lakshmi’s Kripa (regards) is required by the devotee. La

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

Goddess Durga created seven Matrikas from her own self and battled against the demon Raktabija. Devi Varahi, one of them is the female counterpart of Varaha, the boar Avatar of Lord Vishnu. The Goddess who is the regent of the southern direction and protector of the age is sometimes described as the Goddess of darkness and the ideal time for worshipping her is after sunset and midnight. Some templ

This brass-statue represents a winged Naga-kanya, a maiden with a serpent’s lower half. Almost all ancient mythologies world-over comprise the concept of half man-half serpent and half maiden-half serpent, often interacting with the world of man. As regards the cult of man-serpent mixed forms, Indian mythology is far more elaborate though strangely while it talks with definiteness about diff

Polished with a golden sheen and cast in bronze, the majestic Hanuman kneels in the form of Panchamukhi (five-headed) on this sculpture. All his five heads stare off in five different directions, eternalised at the moment he defeats Ahiravana in the warm depths of the underworld. During the battle between Lord Rama and the demon king Ravana, the latter went to the ruler of the netherworld seeking

The beauty of the Devi Kali lies in Her ferocity and invincibility. The very picture of Her is enough to make the adharmee tremble with fear. Each of Her ten arms ('dasha' in Sanskrit means 'ten'; 'bhuja', 'arm') bears a deadly weapon of divine prowess. She uses them to slay adharmees, whose severed heads are hanging in the garland that hangs down Her neck a

This brass image of Ganapati, small in size but immeasurable in its magnificence and grandeur, defines his Vira Ganapati – the ‘valiant warrior’ form, one of his initial thirty-four classical forms which early texts, the eighth century Maudgalya Purana in special, have identified or conceived. Though exceptionally beautiful and endowed with divine aura, Vira Ganapati, primarily a votive form

Varahi, a supremely powerful Tantric goddess is one of the Sapt-Matrikas, seven mother goddesses who accompany goddess Durga to the battlefield as per Shakta tradition. The sow-faced goddess is considered a mighty incarnation of the divine mother and the counterpart of Vishnu’s Varaha avatar. In the Tantric traditions, she is often described as a warrior but for her children, she takes the form

A seated Green Tara murti of substantial proportions. Queen of the Buddhist heavens, the epitome of karuna (compassion), metta (natural kindness), and shunyata (nothingness), She is a bodhisattva in the Mahayana tradition and a buddha in Vajrayana. On a petal-embossed throne, She sits, with the right foot cradled by a minuscule bloom in the foreground.n This is a signature aspect of the iconograph

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

Shiva literally means "the auspicious one". In Hinduism, he is known as the Destroyer within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity, that includes Brahma and Vishnu. In Shaivism tradition, Shiva is one of the supreme beings who creates, protects, and transforms the universe. One of his titles, Nataraja, is a depiction of Lord Shiva as the divine dancer. His dance form is called Tandavam or Nada

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 Mother Kali is an unusual deity. The hallmarks of the Hindu Devi are all in Her. She is supremely beautiful, a yogini of the highest adhikara, and bears superlative strength. Yet, She is unlike anything, you have ever set eyes on. For one, wrath is an integral part of Her personality. While the rest of the feminine pantheon are depicted as calm and reserved, Devi Kali comes with an iconogr

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

Lord Gautama Buddha is believed to be the sole founder of Buddhism and his teachings are entirely concerned towards defining a path free of worldly pleasures and liberating sentient beings from suffering. The bliss that you perceive as you look at the face of this Buddha sculpture makes you feel in heaven; the superfine carvings of his sharp nose, the satisfactory smiling curve of the lips

Harihara is a lesser-known deity from the Hindu pantheon. He emerges from the amalgamation of Vishnu and Shiva, the preserver and destroyer of the trinity right after Brahma the creator. The sublime serenity of Vishnu meets the fierce stance of Shiva in this composite deity. A number of defining contrasts characterise this composition. Shiva's jaatmukuta to Vishnu's golden crown; Shiva&#

She is the fairest Devi of the Hindu pantheon. She strums Her veena, cradled on the lap of a divine lotus. She lulls Her devotees with Her music and Her charm. She is the wife and the loved one (‘priya’) of Lord Brahma, who presides over the creative process (termed ‘srshti’ in Indian philosophy). She is the Devi of learning and the arts, crucial to that process. She is Devi Sarasvati, the

The serene Lakshmi Devi is seated in lalitasana. Her throne is a gigantic lotus in full bloom. At the base of this lotus-shaped throne is another lotus bloom of more realistic proportions. On its belly cradles the foot of Laxmi Mata’s pendant limb. The posterior of Her four arms bear lotuses, while Her anterior hands are in the mudras of aashirvada (blessing) and Abhaya (fearlessness). This is t

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