Goddess Durga - Brass Wall Plaque

Goddess Lakshmi is extremely popular among the women and is widely worshipped for wealth and prosperity. She is often depicted as a beautiful woman of golden complexion, with four hands. Laksmi's four hands represent the four ends of human life: dharma or righteousness, "kama" or desires, "artha" or wealth, and "moksha" or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Cascades of gold coins are seen flowing from her hands, suggesting that those who worship her gain wealth. She is often depicted wearing gold embroidered red clothes.

The artist has chiseled Patañjali, the compiler of the Yoga Sutra, a major work containing aphorisms on the practical and philosophical wisdom regarding practice of Raja Yoga, out of metal brass with masterly elegance. Patañjali is the reputed author of the Yoga Sutra, as well as commentary on Panini's Sanskrit grammar (Astyadhyayi). There are also many ayurvedic texts attributed to him. Desirous of teaching yoga to the world, he is said to have fallen (pat) from heaven into the open palms (anjali) of a woman, hence the name Patanjali. The Yoga Sutra is a treatise on Raja Yoga, built on the Samkhya School and the Hindu scripture of the Bhagavad Gita. Yoga is also found in the Puranas, Vedas and Upanishads. Still, this work is certainly a major work among the great Hindu scriptures and certainly is the basis of Raja Yoga. Patañjali's Yoga is one of the six schools of Hindu Philosophy. They give us the earliest reference to the popular term Ashtanga Yoga that translates literally as the eight limbs of yoga. They are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

These spectacular brass statues depict Lord Ramchandra and His court in a most accomplished manner as the great devotee Hanuman is bowing in front of His Lord. A deep sense of finesse is manifest. Crafted out of brass in a most prolific manner, these figures reveal deep sense of devotion and piety. Lord Ramchandra was the king of Ayodha, who was earlier exiled by his father at the behest of his wife Kaikeyi. While in exile, His wife Sita was abducted by Ravana, the great demon king. Hanuman, the great devotee of Lord Ramchandra assisted Ramchandra to raise a battle against Ravana and finally Seeta was rescued from the clutches of the king Ravana. These events constitute the great Indian epic Ramayana.

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