This fierce form of Shakti as half-female and half-lioness is the supreme embodiment of good and evil, called Pratyangira or Narsimhi (in Vaishnavism, as the wife of Narasimha). As the Purna Chandi, she is the powerfully destructive manifestation of the Brahman – as is particularly witnessed in her menacing scowl with her tongue out. Poised on her lion mount in the victorious and royal ‘lalitasana,’ the deity carries attributes like the ‘trishula’ trident, the ‘damru,’ the noose, and a bowl for alms.
Her heavily bejewelled form, carrying an elaborate ‘mukuta’ from which spews fire under the hood of a seven-headed snake, as the chief warrior goddess of Lalita Tripura Sundari’s army, is a popular deity among the Kshatriya warrior caste. Narasimhi has several legends associated with her – one common recitation is of her coming to the aid to eight sages who were performing rituals of Ashta Lakshmi. When the demon Vipulaasura attacked their penance, Narasimhi came down to defeat the demon and at the same time create a shield out of the holy lotus flower – the floral attribute of several Hindu gods – to protect the sages and allow them to perform their ‘yajna’ without hinderance. Another association Narasimhi has is with the Tantra tradition, where, as Atharvana Bhadra Kali, she is considered as the ‘teevra murti’ – the ferocious idol.
The presence of this ‘panchaloha’ bronze sculpture was also invoked in the epic Ramayana, where Meghananda performed the ‘Nikumbala yajna’ calling for Narasimhi and killing Rama – only to be stopped by Hanuman, who knew that if her ferocious form emerged, Meghananda’s will would be invincible against any attack.
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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