An unusually animated iconography in the usually tranquil idiom of Chola bronzes, the statue of Gajasura-samhara murty- vanquisher of the elephant demon, presents the story of Shiva’s victory over the asura terrorizing his devotees.
The elephant-shaped demon, whose body has been stretched like an ethereal halo around Shiva’s form, was engaged in destroying the worship of Shiva-Lingam, when Mahadeva appeared to protect his devotees. In his Ashtabhuja (eight-armed) powerful form, Shiva ended the reign of terror of the elephant demon.
With his hands digging into the elephant's skin, Shiva holds its body, while balancing his form rather gracefully on the head of the demon. His left leg is arrested in the air, and swaying garments and garland suggest an atmosphere of motion. His celestial form is adorned by the crescent moon in his hair, earrings, Yajnopavita, Baaghacharma (tiger hide) dhoti, anklets, and armlets.
The riveting expressions of his countenance and the awe of the Samhara have created an ethereal atmosphere, making Uma take Skanda in her embrace and rush to one side, and the Shiva-Gana beat the war drum and cymbals in ecstasy, of witnessing Mahakala Shiva perform his divine play.
Eternal Brilliance Unveiled: The Mystique of Panchaloha Bronze and Artful Maintenance Rituals
Bronze is a metal alloy that has the primary composition of Copper and Tin. There is also an addition of other metals such as Manganese, Aluminium, Nickel, and some non-metals such as Phosphorus. This composition of several metals and non-metals makes Bronze an extremely durable and strong metal alloy. It is for this reason that Bronze is extensively used for casting sculptures and statues. Since Bronze has a low melting point, it usually tends to fill in the finest details of a mould and when it cools down, it shrinks a little that makes it easier to separate from the mould.
" If you happen to have a bronze statue, simply use a cotton cloth with some coconut oil or any other natural oil to clean the statue. "
A village named Swamimalai in South India is especially known for exceptionally well-crafted Bronze icons of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The skilled artisans of this place use Panchaloha Bronze for casting the icons. Panchaloha Bronze is made of five metals; Copper, Zinc, Lead, and small quantities of Gold and Silver. Zinc gives a golden hue to the finished figure and Lead makes the alloy softer for the easy application of a chisel and hammer. The common technique for producing these statues and sculptures is the “Lost-wax” method. Because of the high durability of bronze sculptures and statues, less maintenance is required, and can still last up to many decades.
Exotic India takes great pride in its collection of hand-picked Panchaloha Statues. You will find the murtis of Gods (Krishna, Hanuman, Narasimha, Ganesha, Nataraja, and Kartikeya) and Goddesses (Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, and Parvati), and Buddha statues. You can also buy Ritual paraphernalia (Wicks lamp, Puja Kalash, Cymbals, and Puja Flag) on the website. All these statues and items have been made with a lot of care and attention, giving them a flawless finish. Their fine carving detail represents the rich tradition of India.
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