An unusual Ganesha-Lakshmi sculpture. Considered to be siblings in many cultures, Ganesha and Lakshmi are the presiding deities over initiative and resources, respectively. When they are worshipped together, they are depicted parallely next to each other, possessed of an equal number of arms and poised on discrete plinths.
The murti that you see on this page, however, depicts the closeness of the siblings. Ganesha gathers his sister on His lap. While He is chaturbhujadhari (possessed of four arms), She is dvibhujadhari (two arms). Both have the (anterior) right hand raised in blessing. Both direct a gaze of warm, all-knowing compassion upon the world.
The ornate prabhavali behind them is a hallmark of the artisan’s skill with the medium. Panchaloha, a blend of five (‘pancha’) different iron-based (‘loha’) alloys, is a special kind of bronze characterised by molten gold colour. From the prabhavali to the personal iconography, this work draws heavily from the ancient South Indian temple aesthetic.
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