This elaborate brass sculpture is a variation of the Goddess Kali iconography, and hers is a distinct iconography. Her stance is far from the unassuming body language of Indian devices; she is clad in very little by way of clothing and shringar; and there is ferocity about her composure, which matches the weapons she wields in her numerous hands. This one is alone Goddess Kali's composition,

When one thinks of Devi Kali, a wrathful image occurs in the mind's eye. Inky black skin, flaming tresses, a bloodthirsty stance. She vanquishes adharmic like no other deity of the Hindu pantheon and looks the part. In this oil painting, however, we see a different side of Kali Mata. Dusky and dashabhujadhari (ten-armed) indeed, She is dressed here like the peaceful Hindu devis, which is quit

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

Goddess Kali stands for the ferocity and the invincibility of the Orient. She is bloodthirsty and triumphant over adharm, usually portrayed wearing a garland of the heads of adharmees She has been slain. With Lord Shiva (Her husband) lying at Her feet, this image has been embossed and inlaid with the brightest of hues over rosewood that grows in Mysore. WoodenFrameKali Painting: https://www.exo

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

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

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

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

Gautam Buddha, the first to attain Buddhahood, is the founder of Buddhism, primarily followed only by the people of Tibet, but now it is popularly revered all over the world. This brass statue of Buddha is a representation of his state where he teaches his followers the ways to achieve enlightenment. Lord Buddha sits in a lotus posture on an elongated lotus plinth, carved in a beautiful double lay

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

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.

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

The tall, beauteous, and stately Lakshmi Ji blesses the devotee with plenty. The wife of none other than the great Vishnu, She presides over wealth which is the necessary means to His function of preserving creation through destruction. She has been given the resplendent finish of pale gold, Her saree draped in modern-day urban North Indian style. On Her head sits a skillfully carved crown, from u

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

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

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

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