Lotus Aureole Devi Lakshmi

The ones truly devoted to Devi Lakshmi are never lacking in prosperity. She is the deity that dispenses wealth where it is most needed, in proportions that are most apt. Her husband, Lord Vishnu, is responsible for the process of preservation (sthiti), to which affluence is indispensable. Hence His wife is the deity responsible for the same - a fine example of divine compatibility.

She is one of the most beauteous of the Hindu devis. Fair and lissome, She is carved out from a piece of indigenous wood, after the sculptural style of ancient South Indian temples. Seated in lalitasana, Her roopa adorned with gold and jewels, the chaturbhujadhari (four-armed) Devi raises Her anterior hands in blessing and the gesture of fearlessness; in Her posterior hands She holds up freshly blooming lotuses. Zoom in on that slender waist, those long limbs, and the sharp features of Her face in order to admire the skill and perfection with which She has been sculpted.

A gigantic pink lotus constitutes Her asana (seat). Around Her is an aureole carved with colourful lotus petals. An ornate, vibrantly hued kirtimukha is to be found at the crown of the composition, right at the mouth of which towers the Devi’s tall and multi-tiered Southern-style crown. The characteristic colour palette of the composition - rich pinks, greens, and oranges - is in keeping with the ethos of Devi Lakshmi.