Coming from the land of the Yavanas – what Greece was called during ancient India’s history – we have an exquisite pair of Paavai Vilakku or Deepa Lakshmi. Literally known as the ‘damsel with the lamp’ or the ‘lamp held by the woman in her hands,’ these were votive oil lamps that were majorly found in the service of the Pandya kings and their palaces – and slowly, into the households of the public. Symbolising peace, prosperity, and auspiciousness, these ornately bejewelled ladies in a traditional attire were modelled on the appearance of royal ladies; however, as they became popular, there emerged variations: for example, the Paavai lamps in service of the Shaivite sect depicted the goddess Meenakshi with a parrot on her right shoulder, whereas in the Vaishnavite sect, the Paavai lamps depicted Andal with a parrot on her left shoulder. An exquisite and aesthetic work of art that is functional as well as religiously symbolic!
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