The great deity of powerful ancient kings and the rescuer of Prithvi (earth), Varaha or the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu is one of the most popular aspects of the preserver, created and recreated in icons and statues that attempt at capturing His potentials. According to the sacred Puranas, when the asura (demon) Hiranyaksh captured mother Earth, chaos enwrapped the Universe. Taking the form of an enormous Varaha, Vishnu entered the netherworld, rescued Earth, and slew the menacing demon. As the rescuer of earth and establisher of stability, Varaha was the ideal god for kings, who through his icons aimed at portraying their image as the defender and lord of the earth- Bhupati.
In this rare bronze sculpture from Swamimalai, Sri Varaha stands tall, one leg placed on the hood of an anthropomorphic Naga (the resident of the underworld) while the other leg is firmly placed on the sturdy three-tiered bronze platform. Varaha is four-armed, with shankha (conch), chakra (discus), and Gada (mace) in three hands while his main left hand gracefully forms an asana for the earth-goddess, Bhudevi. The murti naturalistically depicts a boar’s face, on the most exquisite body, whose beauty is accentuated by stylized ornamentation. Look closely for incised lines on feet, knees, abdomen, and chest used to highlight the minute folds of skin and musculature to give this bronze a true-to-life appearance.
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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