Iconographically, she is portrayed with four arms, seated on the swan and holding a veena, a manuscript and a rosary. But as times change, so does the artists perception. Here we see Saraswati standing on a lotus. Another full bloomed lotus stems up; proportionately large enough to reach to the shoulder of the goddess. The lotus has much importance in Hindu and Buddhist pantheons; it symbolizes self-creation. The Swan, white as purity, in its natural colour, is the vehicle of the goddess who presides ever and protects wisdom. She is seen playing a stringed musical instrument, the veena, which symbolizes the arts as a whole. She is dressed in a saree that flares at the bottom and one end of it hangs down her back. She wears a small, nondescript crown simple yet elegant.
One may miss the refinement and the gleam of polished brass but the simplicity of composition, spontaneity in depiction cannot be found anywhere but in folk and tribal art. This image of goddess Saraswati is a combination of religion and creativity at its best.
This description by Kiranjyot.
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