The fierce manifestation of Shiva as Bhairava is starkly portrayed in this bronze ‘panchaloha’ sculptural image. As the primal symbol of death, the frightful bloodlust that Bhairava unleashes onto the world is witnessed in the bare iconography of the image here – Bhairava is standing naked, in his four-armed form, while wearing a skullcap, and holds the ‘damru,’ a sword, a cup for alms, and the ‘pasha’ or noose. A large garland is thrown over Bhairava’s left shoulder, and his ‘vahana’ or mount, the dog, is shown behind him.
The fierce manifestation of Shiva as Bhairava is starkly portrayed in this bronze ‘panchaloha’ sculptural image. As the primal symbol of death, the frightful bloodlust that Bhairava unleashes onto the world is witnessed in the bare iconography of the image here – Bhairava is standing naked, in his four-armed form, while wearing a skullcap, and holds the ‘damru,’ a sword, a cup for alms, and the ‘pasha’ or noose. A large garland is thrown over Bhairava’s left shoulder, and his ‘vahana’ or mount, the dog, is shown behind him. The inauspicious destructive energies that the dog represents remain symbolic with the icon of Bhairava. However, it is also noteworthy that Bhairava’s form is benevolent. While he is usually presented with his teeth bare in a fearsome manner, this image presents him with a graceful facial expression of ‘ananda’ or bliss. Moreover, holding the noose, Bhairava as the god embodiment guides the devout on the path of righteousness.
Bhairava’s legends are aplenty; the most popular one coming from the Shiva Mahapurana, which details how Brahma’s ego was humbled by Shiva. As the legend goes, Brahma’s egoism incurred the wrath of Shiva, who saw the creator of the universe meddling in his business. In Shiva’s fury, he gave birth to Bhairava, who chopped off Brahma’s fifth head, and bestowing a humble sense of enlightenment over the latter’s presence. Bhairava therefore is also visually manifested holding the fifth head of Brahma.
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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