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

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

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

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

Nara-Narayana, sages who were the incarnations of Bhagavan Vishnu were deep into austerities when Devas alarmed by their powers, sent celestial nymphs to disrupt their effort. Reacting to this nuisance, Narayana placed a lotus flower on his thigh, from which an unmatchable beauty emerged. She was Urvashi, the maiden whose beauty put to shame all the women of the Devlok. Among the many lessons from

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

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

Garuda 'the devourer' is the mythical 'Lord of birds' in both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In the Hindu Puranic legends, Garuda is the son of Kashyapa and Vinata. He is said to have emerged, fully grown, from an egg, after incubating for five hundred years. Garuda has always been the sworn enemy of snakes and nagas. The archetypal legend of the enmity that exists between

Brahma, narrating the story about Sati’s marriage to Shiva in the Shiva Purana, notes that “On hearing these words of Lord Shiva adept in the divine sports I touched my head and in the same manner bowed to Shiva. When I thus touched my head I assumed the shape of his vehicle, the bull.” This instance of Brahma transforming into Nandi relates to one of the eighteen forms of Shiva mentioned in

Dhokra is an ancient art form significant for making metal artifacts using the lost-wax casting technique. It is a tribal form of art that dates back to nearly 5000 years and has effectively survived the time's test by being in use till date, popular for making human or animal figurines, religious deities, lamps, and measuring bowls; for a superfine quality single product, it takes approximat

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

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

The primordial female energy, the invisible Shakti (power) that is the basis of all our actions, armed with the power of all the gods, becomes the great goddess, Durga. The slayer of Mahishaur- Mahishasurmardini and the mother of the universe, Jagadamba, Devi Durga is the female element at the peak of its beauty and ferocity. In the terms of Hindu esoteric philosophy, Maa Durga among many things i

A one-of-a-kind bitone Buddha composition. The predominant color is black, which has the unmistakable sheen of marble. The medium captures the otherworldly glamour of the erstwhile Shakyamuni. The complementary color, white, is to be found in the dotted raiment clothing of the seated figure, which makes for a surreal visual experience. Legs gathered in the perfect padmasana - heels together direct

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

The image of the Sheshashayi Vishnu induces great calm and stability in the mind of the devotee. Shesha is the name of the naga (snake) on whose coils the Lord lies in sleep, which is the Sanskrit word for 'end'; 'shayi' in Sanskrit stands for one who is lain down. It is the volatile moment between destruction and re-projection, the transitional state between two cycles of time

The Tibetan deity Chenrezig is the most untiring of the Bodhisattvas. With His thousand arms and thousand heads, He strives until space and time remains to free those of us in ihaloka (current realm of existence) of existential perpetuation and suffering. In this superb sculpture of the Lord Chenrezig, He is depicted in a rudimentary bhadrasana. The plenitude of limb and head is invisible to us ma

Mahakali, or the great (‘maha’) Kali, is the omnipotent Roopa (form) of Devi Kali. As a manifestation of the wife of Shiva, the otherwise serene Devi Parvati, the wrath of the Kali Goddess knows no bounds. The Kali statue that you see on this page captures the wrathful aspect of the Hindu Mother Goddess with perfection. To begin with, the medium is a jet black marble. It is an expressive, all-

This is a stylized statue of the brass form of Lord Ganesha (the god of remover of obstacles and provider of happiness). The quirky long trunk is forming a ‘C’ and resting on his folded legs. A slight outstretch from the sides at the top represent his artistic ears. There is a small leaf-like texture on the right knee symbolizing his hand blessing people for fearlessness. The sharp eyes are lo

In Sanskrit, Nata means dance and raja means Lord. There is an interesting legend behind the conception of Shiva as Nataraja: In a dense forest in South India, there dwelt multitudes of heretical sages. Thither proceeded Shiva to confute them, accompanied by Vishnu disguised as a beautiful woman. The sages were at first led to violent dispute amongst themselves, but their anger was soon directed a

Devi Mariamman is the name given in South India to the more recognisable Sheetala Mata. She is known to infuse Her devotees with divine cool and calm ('sheetal' in Sanskrit means 'cool'). In Tamil, the suffix 'amma' stands for 'mother', denoting the nature of the people's devotion to Her. She has been traditionally worshipped as the curer and eradicator

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