This excellent painting in Tanjore art style by a known artist Hemlata Kumawat rendered using 24 Karat gold represents the Gaja Lakshmi form of the lotus goddess, patron deity of riches, prosperity and fertility. Scriptures revere her as the consort of Vishnu, the sustainer of the universe. The dually auspicious Gaja Lakshmi manifests in her being the supreme good as also the supreme beauty. Metaphysically, Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi, transforming as Padmavati, Shri or Gaja Lakshmi, is one of the manifest forms of the primordial female energy which is fertility and growth oriented, generative, creative, sustaining and blissful. It is for such reasons that sage Markandeya has invoked her, in the Devi-Mahatmya as an aspect of the Omnipresent Devi, the Great Goddess. Besides Vak who transformed as Saraswati Lakshmi is another divine power who as Sri has a respectable place in the Rig-Veda. The Rig-Veda has devoted three independent Suktas to Sri.
In visual tradition, Lakshmi, flanked by two or more elephants, sometimes bathing her with milk carried by them in their trunks or in pots carried in them, is known as Gaja Lakshmi. This is one of her earliest forms becoming available from the third century B. C. itself. This initial form incorporates lotuses carried in her hands as also around her figure as another essential feature of her iconography. As elephants symbolise stability, wealth and prosperity, this form of Lakshmi is considered more sacred. This lavishly bejeweled and richly costumed four-armed form of the Goddess has been painted as carrying in her two upper ones lotuses while the lower ones are held in abhay and varad granting fearlessness and bliss respectively. The crown, made of gold foils and conceived as studded with precious stones, is typical to the 19th century Tanjore model of a Vaishnava crown. She is putting on a large garland of fresh lotus flowers trailing down to the ankle height, another characteristic feature of South Indian Vaishnava iconography.
The pair of elephants, essentially the white ones, flanking her image in this painting, or broadly in any of the Gaja-Lakshmi images, are supposed to be the elephants from the clan of Erawata , the mount of Indra, the king of gods. The image has been installed on a fully blown large lotus laid over a golden throne with an elegantly carpeted floor under it. The throne has been placed under an arched canopy consisting of shallow gold arches which are further beautified by marooned curtains with elaborately worked golden frills. On the floor towards her right lay a tray carrying sweets. The deep blue background has been decked with tiny floral patterns. In all artistic traditions, Tanjore in particular, in her Gaja Lakshmi manifestation the goddess is represented as an independent image without a consort, or a male attendant. Lakshmi is sometimes represented, especially when engaged in serving her consort Vishnu, also with normal two arms, but as Gaja Lakshmi she is essentially four-armed.
This image of Lakshmi, with two celestial white elephants flanking her image on either side is also known as Mahalakshmi besides as Gajalakshmi.. Though this form – elephants bathing or flanking her image and multiple lotuses around, is merely an art perception which first revealed in the third century B C in the sculptures of Sanchi and Bharhut, in her votive iconography this is her most popular image. The four-armed image is the essence of Lakshmi’s initial Mahalakshmi iconography. The painting has been rendered on a hard boar using 24 Karat gold foils, pigments and other material. The architrave has been wondrously beautified and serves as both, the frame for the shrine as also the border of the painting. The corner spaces above the arches are decorated with various design motifs, a large circular flower in particular.
This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.
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