With her regal throne framed by a kirtimukha prabhavali, Goddess Lakshmi shines celestially as she sits, face turned up in a faint smile and lower hands in abhaya and varada mudra, blessing her devotees with riches. She is the epitome of youth, beauty, as well as wealth and opulence. Her throne is set upon an upside-down lotus, carved intricately with panchaloha (five alloys) bronze.
When the churning of the cosmic had gone on for a long while, the devas and asuras rejoiced as out from it emerged Goddess Lakshmi, the epitome of beauty and youth. They had been pulling the rope around a great mountain, in hopes of amrita (the elixir of immortality) but had come across Lakshmi, who became the provider of material wealth. She looked at all the gods present and eventually chose to marry Lord Vishnu. Just like she emerged from the great waters, she emerged from the wax mold after much effort on the part of sthapathis. They sculpted her idol in wax and poured molten bronze through it. Burying it in the ground, they wait for it to cool before they melt the wax away, which gives this art form the name of lost wax. And finally, after so long, emerges the beautiful form of Goddess Lakshmi.
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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