Perumal is how Lord Vishnu is visualised and worshipped in South India. In the sculpture that you see on this page, He stands amidst His wives, the gorgeous Sri Devi and Bhu Devi.
They are both the spiritual vectors of Lakshmi: the first stands for harmony, while the second symbolises fecundity. Lord Perumal Himself is the presiding deity over preservation of existence.
The work comprises three discrete figurines standing on the pistils of upturned lotus-shaped pedestals. Perumal is chaturbhujadhari (four-armed), while His wives are dvibhujadhari (two-armed).
They are poised on an elongated plinth engraved with lotus petals. Miniature cylindrical pillars on either side. A curvaceous, perfectly symmetrical aureole from which project densely packed leaves. From the iconography to the aesthetics, this composition is a fine example of South Indian workmanship. The medium of panchaloha, a blend of five iron-based alloys, is the primary giveaway. The colour of earthen gold is characteristic of such a unique medium. Somehow it captures the gravity and the divinity of the three deities.
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