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

In Hinduism, Hanuman is a very powerful and strong god. He was an avatar of Vishnu, a god of Hindus. He is also a figure of strength, perseverance, and devotion and is one of the Chiranjeevi. In Hindu mythology, he is known as the monkey commander of the monkey army and his exploits are recorded in Ramayana. The Hindu belief in Hanuman helps them to assist the lower self that is lost to ignorance

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

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

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

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

Lord Ganapati is hailed as the chief of the celestial hosts and his various prayers recorded in Vedic texts invoke him as the Law of the laws, Seer of the seers, and Principal of the principals. This tiger eye sculpture of Ganesha is an entirely unique artifact to decorate your surroundings in the beauty of its creativity and the dazzling effect it reflects on being exposed to bright light. The go

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

The irresistibly beautiful Lakshmi is seated on a blooming pink lotus. She is clad in a scarlet-colored saree, densely embroidered with gold. With streams of emeralds and rubies about Her, every curve - neck and hip and wrists - the wife of Vishnu is the most sumptuously dressed Devi of the Hindu pantheon, as depicted in this Thanjavur painting. This is because She is the presiding deity over plen

Beneath a Kirtimukham prabhavali (aureole), stands the gentle Lord Ganesha. The superb proportions of Kirtimukham contrast sharply with the chubby child’s form of the standing Ganesha idol. So does the diametric variation in the expressions - the former is a paragon of all-consuming ferocity, while the latter is widely worshipped for its childlike gentleness. The Lord Ganesha statue that you see

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

Sri Maha Shodashi is a Hindu goddess and is an aspect of Mahadevi mainly worshipped in Shaktism, a goddess-oriented sect of Hinduism. She is also revered as one of the prominent Mahavidyas. She is glorified in many Shakta texts, with Lalita Sahasranama being the most popular one. Sri Maha Shodashi is also known as Tripura Sundari, Rajarajeshwari, and Lalita. She is a personification of Supreme Ene

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

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

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

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 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

An image of tender devotion. Lord Hanuman kneels on one knee upon the earth and gathers His hands in the supplicatory namaskaaram. His tail flourishes behind Him as He raises His head towards His beloved Lord Rama, His eyes brimming with the bhakti in His heart. Bhakti, or unconditional love, is the yogamaarga (‘maarga’ is Sanskrit for path) of Hanuman, an accomplished yogi of the finest order

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