Of the many wives of Lord Krishna, the King of Dvaraka, Shrimati Rukmini was the first. Whilst engaged to His cousin Shishupala, promised to him by her envious brother Rukmi, the princess of Vidarbha beseeched Her Lord and love to come and take Her away. In carrying out her wishes, He made her the first queen of Dvaraka. In this superfine wooden sculpture, she is seen standing to His left, gazing

Exceptionally ornate cast in brass, as lustrous and worked with as fine details as an image cast in gold: the same minuteness and precision as defining a piece at a goldsmith’s workshop, the statue represents Lord Krishna playing fully absorbed on his flute. Hearing the melody a cow is drawn to him and stands supporting him from behind. Halebid in the country’s southern part had a highly ornat

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

Murals distinguish the folk art of Kerala. A fine tradition to be found in the temples and palaces dotting the Malabar Coast, the earliest examples are to be found in Tirunandikkara and Tiruvanchikulam, dated from the ninth to the twelfth centuries. The one you see on this page is a contemporary specimen of this ancient means of art, and conforms to the post-fifteenth century style of Kerala mural

Arrowheads have been found in archaeological excavations of ancient sites, where they were placed as protective offerings. Consecrated arrows were thought to possess the power to destroy an invisible enemy. To serve this function, an amulet in the form of an arrowhead was tied around the neck of the wearer. Simulated arrowheads retained the form of the original, functional one and were believed to

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 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

A kingly Lord Ganesha sits on the throne. From the lalitasana of His limbs to the ample regalia of His person, He looks every bit the ruler of paraloka and ihaloka alike, over the hearts of numerous devotees who consider Him the jewel of Shiva-Parvati. He is shashtabhujadhari: conchs and the Sudarshan chakra and the gesture of blessing in His hands, and of course a freshly made laddoo in the anter

Aventurine is a variety of quartz that is known for its unusual texture. It has a natural translucence coupled with a deep shimmer, termed aventurescence. The same is brought out to perfection in the longline Nataraja sculpture that you see on this page. It is a rich green color, which is the natural color of aventurine. A two-tiered plinth was comprising lotus blooms with the pistils against each

Lord Ganesha is a baal-deva, a child (baal) of the divine order of the devas. He is an integral part of Shiva-parivar and the Devi Durga offspring retinue in devotional art; and when portrayed alone, He is the scribe of the Mahabharata and/or the very picture of traditional opulence. The oil painting you see on this page is a singular depiction of the Lord. Quiet, gathered, solitary - such is His

Lord Shiva, the auspicious one, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism and is also known as Mahadeva or the Supreme God. He is known for his attributes of being benign, the Beneficient, and the Lord and God. He possesses greater powers than most Hindu Gods and has incredible endurance and remarkable speed due to the increased reflexes from his four arms and can even manipulate power but not a

Tanjore paintings are famous for their unique depictions of devotional icons with pure gold coating and vivid colors. In this painting, Lord Venkateshavara stands straight atop a small elevated platform in His four-armed form (chaturbhuja). He is unprecedently dressed in a perfectly pleated pitambar (bright yellow) dhoti down to His ankles. Between the two fingers of His upper hands, He holds His

The unmistakable Tanjore painting is an especial kind of palagai padam (South Indian panel painting). Having originated as icons designed to grace the homes and temples of the wealthy, these works of art depict deities from the Hindu pantheon in all their iconographic beauty and glory. As such, the handpicked Tanjore painting that you see on this page is a collector’s item and would be a valuabl

An ancient South Indian legend tells of Deva Guru Brihaspati and Lord of Winds Vayu, descending to Earth to build a Bhuloka Vaikuntam, in the Thrissur district of Kerala. It was to be a holy abode for Vishnu in the mortal realm. That town was named Guruvayur after its two celestial architects and the temple came to be called the Guruvayur Temple. Guruvayurappan is the Lord of Guruvayur or the Unni

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

A supreme master of all knowledge, intelligence and wisdom, as can be analysed from his name Ganapati, where ‘Ga’ means buddhi (intelligence), ‘Na’ means vijnana (wisdom) and ‘Pati’ means master. His benevolence allows him to be honoured as the first among the celestials before the commencement of any auspicious ceremony for enlightening it to a successful finish without any obstru

The Kalinga Nardhana Krishna is the quintessential image of the triumph of dharma over adharma. When the wicked serpent, Kalinga or Kaliya, had made a home for itself in the Yamuna and none of the inhabitants of Braj could access its beauty and nourishment due to his presence, it was the great Lord Krishna who acted as savior. In a brutal battle between the divine and the serpentine, the conqueror

Nataraja, Lord of the Dance, who sweeps away ignorance and illusion, is the Hindu god, Shiva, in his form as the cosmic dancer. He is also known as Brahman, the 'supreme universal consciousness', and as the 'auspicious one'. He is one of the main deities of Hinduism, whom Shaivites worship as the supreme God and is commonly attributed as Benign, Beneficent, and the Great Lord a

The patron deity of Tirupati, India, Lord Venkateshvara is a manifestation of Vishnu. His name is derived from the nearby Mount Venkata (‘ishvara’ roughly translates to god). The crystal-sculpted murti that you see on this page is a replica of the idol at the Tirumala Venkateshvara Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. Considered one of the holiest sites in India, the temple dates back to

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

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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 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 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

This exquisitely remarkable and stunning creation from the region of Swamimalai truly awes the viewer, whether for its artistic presence or religious sentiment. This skillful work of art truly encapsulates how a god’s image, or its ‘murti,’ rivets the devotee to the ground, making him lose his material bondings and wholeheartedly devote his life to the service of this benevolent and majestic