This gracefully lean and muscled ‘panchaloha’ sculpture is of the zoo-anthropomorphic form of Nandi, or Nandikeshwara. Nandideva’s roles are not confined to being the ‘vahana’ or mount of Shiva; on the contrary, he is the guardian deity of Mount Kailash (which is why today every Shaivite temple has a stone statue of a seated Nandi facing the main shrine) and, as part of the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition, is the principal guru of the eight disciples of Nandinatha Sampradaya, a sect which greatly emphasises the tradition of yoga.
Happiness, joy, and satisfaction define the qualities of Shiva’s mount, and as the divine guardian, Nandikeshwara is presented in a four-armed form: his front two hands are clasped in a namaskarama, perform the ‘anjali mudra,’ while the other two hold the ‘parashu’ or battle axe – symbolising Shiva’s own axe ‘Vidyudabhi’ that he presented to Parashurama – and a ‘mriga,’ symbolising lordship over the animal kingdom.
The auspicious image of Nandi is such that it has been embraced all over the world, especially amongst most of the Tamil Shaivites, who take pride in the ‘Nandi Flag.’ Nandi, in fact, was also the royal symbol for the Pallava dynasty and the Jaffna Kingdom of Sri Lanka, and in Vietnamese Hinduism, it is believed that upon death Nandi shall ferry their souls to the holy land. Such beautifully deep mythic ideas make acquiring this bronze work even more breath-taking.
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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