Seated with his right leg slightly pendent, and holding the goad, noose, ‘modak,’ and his own tooth, Ganesha here is presented in a highly ornate manner riding his ‘vahana’ or mount, Mooshika. It is a curious and interesting proposition that Ganesha, the ‘Mangala Murti’ God of auspicious starts and the remover of obstacles, be associated with an animal that festers on dirt and disease.
However, as with every mythological Indic tradition, their relation is poetic, and Mooshika is symbolic – of the pest that plagues our lives. Mooshika’s stylised long snout is symbolic of the way rats keep on devouring the filth they come across. Therefore, in Ganesha’s riding of his ‘vahana,’ the auspicious lord here takes care of controlling that spread of toxicity. Moreover, Ganesha’s mount here is symbolic of fertility.
There are several instances in the Matsya Purana, Brahmananda Purana, and Ganesha Purana that detail how Ganesha came to have Mooshika as his mount – for example, how the celestial musician Krauncha was cursed to be a mouse after angering the sage Vamadeva, but then was given the boon that one day he shall be worshipped himself. The prophecy was fulfilled when Krauncha, now as Mooshika, became Ganesha’s ‘vahana.’
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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