Goddess Ganga, the most popular and revered river goddess in Hinduism is depicted by the artists of Swamimalai as a young and gorgeous woman of the woods in this intricately carved bronze. Maa Ganga relieves the soul of its sins and ensures that one reaches the adobe of the Gods. As a celestial stream, her waters are considered divinely purifying, so much so that her mere presence on Hindu temple entrances ensured that the physical and mental aspects of the devotee were purified. While being carved on the doorways, Ganga was accompanied by her dwarfish attendants and another river goddess the Yamuna, who stood opposite to her.
Surrounded by the arch of the mythical Kalpvriksha (wish-fulfilling tree), which is depicted as the home of several life forms, receiving life-sustaining essence from the proximity of Ganga, the mother goddess wears her hair in a high bun, with a Naga’s hood rising from it. Nagas, the residents of the underworld are closely associated with the water element and share the ability to bestow boons of fecundity with rivers, mother-goddesses, yakshas, and other semi-divine beings. As a part of Ganga’s ornamentation (as her Bajuband or armband on the right arm), they highlight her role as the prime mover of life and nurturer of lands. Ganga’s large hoop earrings reach her lean shoulders, her ethnic jewellery adorns her flawless physique, and her short dhoti effortlessly brings out the beauty of her slender legs. The fertility element intrinsic in the iconography of mother-goddesses is underlined in this Ganga murti through the freshly picked lotuses in her hands, with their stems pleasingly coiling around her hands and her round breasts emphasized by a breast-band. On her left stands an attendant, small in size, looking up to the mother-goddess with devotion. Ganga stands on a Makara, an amalgamation of an elephant, a crocodile, and other animals. The composite animal represents the variety of life forms supported by the divine mother Ganga and her waters, who surrounded by some of them, stands majestically on the Makara.
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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