Lord Dhanavantari is the presiding deity over Ayurveda, system of traditional Indian medicine. He is a manifestation of none other than Lord Mahavishnu and, according to the Puranas, is said to have been birthed from the doodhsagar during the samudramanthan of the devas and the asuras.
The handpicked bronze sculpture that you see on this page is a finely done example of the textual iconography of Lord Dhanavantara.
Upon an upturned lotus atop latticeworked pedestal stands the gracious Lord Dhanavantari. The fullness of His stature is evened out by His four arms (He is chaturbhujadhari, or one possessed of four arms). His posterior hands bear the shankha (conch) and the dharmachakra (symbolic discoid) in keeping with His Vaishnavite roots, while in His anterior hands are a leech and a pot of amrta (elixir of immortality).
The presiding deity over health and existential well-being is richly adorned in gold ornaments and a dhoti of silk, complemented by a templetop-esque crown towering above His head. This Lord Dhanavantari composition, a fine example of Southern workmanship, has been finished with a great deal of symmetry and attention to detail.
A Kirtimukham motif directly below the navel holds His dhoti in place, and a bunch of fish-tailed sashes descend from either side of His hips. From the legs of the pedestal to the handsome features of His face and the crown on His head, symmetry characterises each aspect of this bronze murti.
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