There are various forms of Tara and among them the Green and White forms are most popular. Green Tara helps her devotees to overcome dangers, fears and anxieties and fulfills their wishes. She also helps believers to cross over from danger to safety or from suffering to happiness and protects them from sixteen popular perils.
She is seated here in the lalitasana on a lotus seat with her right leg pendant on a smaller lotus and the left leg folded in her lap. She has two hands; the right hand is in the gesture of charity (varada) and holding the stem of a full-blown lotus flower, and the left hand which is in the gesture of argumentation / protection likewise holds the stem of a lotus.
Green Tara is considered an incarnation of the Nepalese queen of king Sron-btsan-sgam-po. In paintings, her body complexion is green. The green colour points to the power of performing every kind of action. Her right hand as mentioned above is in the attitude of gifting in order to point out the perfection of liberality (dana-paramita), her left hand is in the gesture of abhaya, because it protects creatures from all kinds of fear. She holds the lotus flower in order to show that from her all beings, taking refuge in her, derive their blessedness. She indeed has the power to realize the welfare of all.
The body of the deity is full yet lissome. Her eyes are half closed and there is a sacred tika or mark between the eyebrows. She is adorned with a five-pronged crown, earrings, necklaces, armlets, bracelets, waistband and anklets.
The uniqueness of this composition lies in the beautiful finish the artist has imparted to the sculpture. After carefully imbuing the Devi with a bronze hue, he has then deftly set out to inlay the whole sculpture with wires of copper and silver. Even though this effort is highly painstaking, nevertheless, the beauty of the final result amply justifies it. We can see its effectiveness in the highlighting of the goddess’s jewelry, the incisions making up the folds of her dhoti and also the bordering of her lotus seat. Definitely a sculpture which justifies her epithet as the goddess ‘who descends into the heart of the devotee from her heavenly heights’.
For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist