Saraswati’s facial expressions are breathtaking, depicting that realistic chhavi of her Motherly nature, her elegance, and her charm. You can’t miss out on the lavish carvings of her long crown, done in circular layers with a designer top and embellished with a leaf-styled ornament from behind, etched in a beautiful floral pattern. The bright yellow-gold color enhances every aspect of her graciousness and fits to be perfect ornamentation for your interior décor.

The Atharva-Veda, as the creation’s primordial mother who helped create and is thus endowed with abundant milk to feed and sustain, and hence, one with large breasts. In early Puranas, Saraswati was the goddess of battlefield inflicting death on demons, and in later, Brahma’s coy mistress and the goddess of learning; however, this large-breasted anatomy of her figure, as the Atharva-Veda conceived her, never changed – an aspect that adequately reflects in this statue also.

The Puranas that perceived Saraswati as the goddess of the battlefield conceived her form as multi-armed holding a number of attributes in them. Her transformation into the Brahma’s consort or the presiding deity of learning, arts, and creativity seem to have deprived her of the multiplicity of arms; however, her four-armed form was ever consistent, though again the attributes carried in them kept varying except one or two, such as ‘Pustaka – book, symbolic of the Vedas, rosary, or ‘kamandala’ – pot with handle and spout, associated with the iconography of Brahma, her spouse.

Puranas attribute to Brahma his emergence from Lord Vishnu’s navel riding over a lotus. Early Saraswati icons associated this lotus also with the iconography of Saraswati, sometimes one or even two lotuses being carried by her in her hands, but more often, as her seat. For long time Saraswati’s ‘Kamalasana’ – lotus-seated form represented the goddess’s most popular image, a form still widely used. The Puranas widely lauded her as: 'Asina Kamala karairjjapabatim padmadhyam pustakam bivrana', that is, the goddess is lotus-seated and carries in one of her hands a ‘japamala’, in two, lotuses, and in the fourth, a ‘pustaka’.

However, subsequently this position, more so in regard to lotuses carried in her hands, not in regard to one comprising her seat, largely changed, especially after lotus was associated with Lakshmi’s icons almost in complete exclusion to any other female divinity. Quite interestingly, Saraswati who was initially the demon-slayer goddess operating in battlefield was subsequently transformed into the Brahma’s coy mistress, a mere divine presence and later, again into a semi-operative deity.

As patron deity of arts, literature and music she not only granted ability among her devotees for attaining distinction in them but herself performed and was thus operative. Accordingly, in her subsequent iconography she not only carried a ‘vina’ – stringed instrument, in her hands replacing lotuses but also played on it. In her later iconographic vision ‘pustaka’ that she carried in one of her hands symbolised literature and knowledge she is the patron deity of.

Saraswati stood for absolute purity and accordingly her image was conceived with pure white ensemble and a goose, symbol of purity that fed on pearls as its meal, was associated with her as her mount. Sometimes the dancing bird peacock, not a goose, symbolising colours of culture and creativity, defined as her mount the goddess’s cultural aspect.

As the iconographic tradition has her form, in this magnificent brass-cast : a rare masterpiece, the goddess has been cast as ‘param jyoti-swarupa’, one abounding in ultimate lustre that her exceptionally rich adornment further enhances. Though seated well on her ‘pitha’ – seat, in ‘lalitasana’, a sitting posture revealing ease and aesthetic beauty, her figure seems to move with youthful vigour and ecstasy of the melody emitting from her lyre.

As prescribed, besides her large breasts beautifully clad under ornamented ‘stana-patas’ – breast-bands, her form has been conceived with a tall slender figure exceptionally balanced in anatomical proportions and rare in beauty of face. Though lotus-seated the statue represents on her left a majestic bird with large beautiful feathers, obviously a peacock, her mount, stationed around her seat.

Her normal right and left hands represented as engaged in playing on ‘vina’, and the upper left, as carrying ‘pustaka’ apart, very strangely, in her upper right hand she is holding another, quite beautiful but smaller bird, perhaps the mythical goose. Thus, the image is all inclusive. Besides lavish ornamentation, especially the towering crown with peacock feather like styled back and very special ‘kundalas’ – ear-ornament, the statue represents her with the lotus seat, peacock, as her mount, ‘vina’ and ‘pustaka’, among the attributes in hands, goose, defining her purity and overall identity, and her absolute form with fine modeling and absolute beauty.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

Unveiling the Wisdom and Creativity of Saraswati: A Deeper Understanding

Mother Saraswati is one of the three principal Goddesses in Hinduism who are known as “Tridevi”; the other two being Lakshmi and Parvati. In the Vedic scriptures, she is mentioned as the consort of Lord Brahma, the creator of the material world, and thus assists him in his activities. She is often depicted as having a beautiful youthful body with four arms holding a book (represents the Vedas), a rosary (signifying the importance of chanting the holy names of the Supreme Lord Vishnu), a water pot, and a musical instrument called Veena. She sits on a white swan that symbolizes the capacity to discriminate between good and evil.

She is worshiped by many people across the globe in different forms. She is the Goddess of knowledge, art, music, speech, and learning. People in parts of India celebrate Saraswati Puja in the month of spring in which the elders of the family begin the day by taking the blessings of Mother Saraswati and then teach their children to read and write the letters of the alphabet.

Can Saraswati idol be kept at home?

Goddess Saraswati is the manifestation or expansion of Goddess Lakshmi or Srimati Radharani, the eternal consort of the Supreme Lord. She is very merciful toward all living entities and blesses them with whatever material desires they have. But if one sincerely and genuinely approaches her and serves her to know about the Absolute Truth and the real aim of human life, she bestows all good fortune upon them and inspires them to walk the path toward the Supreme. Thus, if you want to please Mother Saraswati through your selfless service, you can keep her deity at home and worship her with faith and devotion.

Where should we keep a Saraswati idol at home?

Knowing that Goddess Saraswati is worthy of our respectful obeisance at her lotus feet is important. If you have a deity of Mother Saraswati at home or are planning to buy one, the best place to keep it is the altar. She should be worshiped with the right attitude and mindset. However, if you want to keep the deity in your living room for spiritualizing the space, you should keep it on a clean surface.

What is the benefit of keeping a Saraswati idol?

Keeping and worshiping the deity of Goddess Saraswati at your home will be highly beneficial for the whole family. As she is the bestower of knowledge, she can bless you with a good memory, intelligence, and artistic skills. If you worship her with full faith and surrender, she will guide you to the path of the Absolute Truth, the way back home, back to Godhead. This is the ultimate fruit of worshiping her.