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

Durga, identified as Adi Parashakti, is a principal and popular form of the Hindu Goddess. She is a goddess of war, the warrior form of Parvati, whose mythology centres around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity, and Dharma, the power of good over evil. Devi Durga is also a fierce form of the protective mother Goddess, who unleashes her divine wrath against the wicke

The five (‘pancha’) faces (‘mukha’) of Panchamukha Hanuman stand for the five means of worship that the great yogi extended to Lord Rama: naman, smaran, keerthanam, yacham, and arpanam. The faces are (from left to right) Lakshmi Varaha, Mahaveera Garuda, Anjaneya, Karala Ugraveera Narasimha, and Hayagriva. The Panchamukha on this page is possessed of eight arms (the ashtabhujadhari). The m

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

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

Of all the qualities that make Lord Krishna who He is, it is His prowess with the flute that captures the hearts of devotees. Spread across not only the subcontinent but also the world, devotees never tire of His music. He sits in one of Vrindavan's many glades and pulls out His flute, the sound of which reaches the inhabitants within the city. The music that is emanating from His flu

The tale of Pancamukha Hanuman from Ramayana tells of the monkey god’s battle with the King of Patala, Ahiravana, and his five celestial lamps. Hidden within the flames of these lamps, diverging away in five different directions, lay the soul of the daitya king. To kill Ahiravana the flames all needed to be extinguished at the same time. Lord Hanuman spouted five faces, each with a distinct pers

Salutations to Lord Ganesha -son of Uma-Mahadev, who has an elephant-head, being attended by the band of his followers (GANANATHA), dines his favourite wood-apple and rose–apple fruits, who is the cause of the destruction of all sorrows, Whose feet are like lotus. One should observe Ganesha with full devotion, feel his qualities and waves such as immensity, pride and fearlessness, immense streng

The episode of the battle of the great goddess and the demon Raktabija as mentioned in the Vamana Purana describes the powerful expansions of the Adi-Shakti, which took the form of warring goddesses, each one of them originating from the other, assisting the Adi Devi Durga in slaying the demon. These goddesses came to be known as Sapta-Matrikas, “seven mothers”, and are associated with the mal

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

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,

Medicine Buddha is an extraordinary and precious healing meditation practice found in Tibetan Buddhism. the Buddhists recite the mantra of Medicine Buddha to overcome mental, physical, and spiritual problems. Not only the mantra, but the people also recite the name of the Medicine Buddha popularly known as Bhaisayaguru. The patient is to recite the long Medicine Buddha mantra 108 times over a glas