In its most enduring avatar, Garuda’s association with Vishnu as his ever-faithful mount has presented to us the iconic image of royalty, ‘dharma,’ and kingly power – but as the powerful son of sage Kashyap and Vinata, his legend extends to much more than Vishnu. Executed in the lost wax ‘madhichista vidhana’ technique is this anthropomorphic form of a man with the features of a bird, making Garuda the fearsome protector of the weak and ever watchful enemy of the Nagas (interestingly, the Naga Kaliya had sought refuge in the waters of Vrindavan, for that was the one place Garuda could not reach him).
T A Gopinatha Rao, writing in his ‘Elements of Hindu Iconography’ demonstrates that texts like the Shilparatna and the Shritatvanidhi present Garuda with an eagle-like nose or beak, an emerald-coloured body, and golden-yellow wings. While his depiction majorly coincides with that of Vishnu, when placed individually, Garuda is visualised with two hands clasped in a namaskaram, or the ‘anjali mudra.’ What perhaps makes Garuda’s presence immensely iconic is not so much for his space as the king of birds, or as Vishnu’s mount, but that we find its divine presence in not simply Hinduism, but Buddhism and Jainism, and as a cultural and national symbol for countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, and Thailand. In that respect then, this ‘panchaloha’ bronze statue, adorning bespoke ornamentation, a regal ‘mukuta,’ and standing on a raised lotus plinth, is one of highly unique and significant visual mastery to acquire.
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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